If you feel that your child needs extra support in their learning, then the initial contact should be the education provider; the teacher in the education setting or the school SENCO (Special Education Needs Officer) are good people to talk to. If your child does not attend an early years setting, then it is possible to approach your local council.
If it is decided that your child does need extra help, then the early years setting will provide this through something called ‘early years action’. This essentially means a different way of teaching certain topics that better meet with your child’s needs. It can also mean extra adult help at times, for example an assistant or key worker in the setting may provide extra one to one support with your child.
You may hear the term ‘IEP’ (Individual Education Plan), which is a document used to record your child’s goals and progress. This is a really positive way of monitoring the strengths and needs of your child in their education. The IEP will detail what extra help will be provided, who will provide this extra help, and ideas for how you can help your child at home.
If it is felt that your child could make more progress than they are doing on early years action, then your child’s teacher or SENCO may talk to you about early years action plus. This may mean that your child needs extra help from perhaps a specialist teacher or a speech therapist. The necessary external specialist, such as the speech therapist, will assess your child’s need and provide advice regarding what is needed. They may also provide direct assistance to your child, or see them in a small group with other children with similar needs. The specialists will also contribute to the IEP and set goals on the IEP relating to their specialist area.
If your child needs quite a lot of extra help and specialist assistance, then you or your SENCO may feel that you would like to apply for a Statement of Education Needs. This process is detailed in our next article entitled ‘I would like to apply for a Statement of Education Need for my Child.’
At Integrated Treatment Services we have a range of therapists who are experienced in assessing and providing therapy to children requiring extra assistance. As private therapists, we take pride in our ability to offer individually tailored approaches to all of our clients. We value the input from other individuals involved in your child’s care and understand the importance of working together to meet your child’s needs. Our speech therapists are able to work with your child in the setting most convenient for them; this may be the home, school, or a clinic setting.
If you think that your child, relative or friend may benefit from speech and language therapy or associated therapies, Integrated Treatment Services could be of help. Contact us here: https://integratedtreatmentservices.co.uk/contact-us/enquiry
Anna Mason, October 2012
Written on behalf of Integrated Treatment Services.
Integrated Treatment Servicesis a private Speech and Language Therapy service based in Leicestershire. Services are also available in other parts of the U.K including London, Surrey, Cambridgeshire, Warwickshire, Essex, Middlesex and the East Midlands. We are also able to offer services in Ireland, Dubai and India. Integrated Treatment Services specialises in providing highly-skilled Speech and Language Therapists (speech therapy), but also associates with other therapeutic professionals, including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Educational Psychologists and Arts Psychotherapists
