I think my child has special educational needs, how do I get a diagnosis for my child?

Pupils will only receive a diagnosis if they have a specific learning difficulty such as as Dyslexia, or have a medical need.  Pupils do not receive a 'diagnosis' of special educational needs.  The SENCo, is agreement with the Head Teacher, will identify that a pupil has a difficulty which is preventing them from learning in the same way as their peers and will place them onto our SEND Register.

If you are concerned that your child has a specific difficulty such as ADHD or Autism, the SENCo can make a direct referral to the Community Paediatrician based at the Johnson Community Hospital.  If the referral is accepted, you will receive an appointment with a paediatrician, who will give you further information and an assessment may begin.

If you are concerned that your child has a learning difficulty such as Dyslexia or Dyscalculia, the SENCo can make a referral to a Specialist Teacher.  A Specialist Teacher works at our school for one day each week.  She can identify if a pupil has difficulties consistent with Dyslexia or Dyscalculia and provide advice about how best to support their needs.

If you are concerned that your child has a speech and language difficulty, the SENCo can make a referral to the 'Speech and Language Therapy Service' (SALT) based at the Johnson Community Hospital.  A therapist may then assess and identify if a pupil has a specific speech and/or language difficulty and provide advice about how best to support their needs.

How long does a diagnosis/referral take?

Referral time can vary depending upon the agency involved.  Referrals to the NHS (Community Paediatrics and Speech and Language Therapy Service) take considerably longer, on average it can take between three to four months to receive an appointment.  Not all pupils will receive a diagnosis and/or decision.  Where diagnoses are made, this can take a considerable time depending upon the individual.  In many cases, a diagnosis follows several appointments, which could take more than a year. 

Referrals to the Specialist Teacher are made within the school and are dependent on how many referrals have been made at that point.  This can take anything from two weeks to a whole school term.  Where the Specialist Teacher identifies a specific difficulty this will take only a few weeks once the assessment has been completed.

What happens once a diagnosis has been made?

At SPCEDS we do not wait until a diagnosis has been made to put support in place, since this can be a very long process.  If it is very clear that a pupil has a difficulty and is struggling to learn, we will do everything that we can to help them. 

If a diagnosis is made, we will ask advice from the relevant outside agencies about how best to help the pupil.  This advice will be identified on the pupil's Individual Support Plan and shared with you and/or discussed at a meeting.  We will put this advice in place straight away or once the relevant resources/equipment have been purchased.