Remember to keep a file with all the details of your child's medical history, education reports and other important documents. You may need this information at some time and it should be kept in a safe place.

Assessment and statementing

Getting extra help

In How to get support for learning for your child who stammers it is explained how the pre-school can arrange additional support for your child through 'Early Years Action' or 'Early Years Action Plus'. Children who stammer are only likely to need further support than this if there is another more complex need present for which statutory assessment and specialist support is required. For example, a third of children with Down's syndrome are likely to stammer. The majority of children who stammer are unlikely to go on to be statutorily assessed.

If you are not happy that your pre-school is meeting your child's special educational needs first talk to your child's keyworker with whom you should have built up a good relationship. If you feel then that more specialist help is needed ask to speak to the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) in the setting or, if you have a childminder, request a meeting with the SENCO supporting her from the local authority. There can be misunderstandings so it is important you co-operate as much as you can with your child's pre-school and involve the most senior member of staff, the nursery manager or Headteacher if you consider that would be helpful. After this discussion you may accept that adequate support is in place. However, if you anticipate that further support is likely to be needed then consider the possible options.

Click on the following links to open a PDF, use the back button on your browser to return to this resource. To save the handout to your computer, right click and choose 'Save as'.

Text for this page: Assessment and statementing
Text for this whole section: When your child has complex needs