Identifying children’s needs

All children are individual and will develop at different rates. To get a general idea, milestones are used to:

  • help track your child’s development
  • see if they are progressing at a typical rate

Support if you are concerned about your child’s development

If you are worried about your child's development, speak to your:

  • health visitor
  • child's education setting
  • child's GP

If your child is under 5 years old

If your child is under 5 years old, speak to people or professionals who know your child well, for example, a nursery teacher, health visitor, or GP. They may share your concerns and make a referral to a child specialist such as a community paediatrician, for further investigation.

If your child is in an education setting, you should speak to their key person or the Special Educational Needs and Disability Coordinator (SENDCO). They may share your concerns and make a referral to a specialist or decide to monitor your child's progress more closely.

If your child is over 5 years old

If your child is over 5 years old, speak to their class teacher or SENDCO. Your school should be able to talk to you about the ordinarily available offer and any additional support that they can provide.

If you feel your concerns are not being listened to

If your school is not concerned about your child but you still are, you might want to contact the Camden Special Educational Needs Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS). SENDIASS offer free confidential and impartial advice and support.

Support after receiving a diagnosis

During this time, you will need time to talk about your feelings and any decisions you are going to make. Close family and friends can be good emotional support. Talking to a health professional and other professionals who work with your child may be easier for some people at this stage.

During and after a diagnosis you may come into contact with different healthcare workers, including:

  • paediatricians
  • health visitors
  • occupational therapists
  • speech and language therapists
  • physiotherapists
  • portage workers
  • GPs

Health professionals who may give your child a diagnosis are trained to support parents and answer questions about this.

Support services

It's easy to be overwhelmed with information. Don't be afraid to ask questions, ask for professionals to repeat themselves, or explain things more clearly.

If you’d like to talk to someone who has first-hand experience with a child or young person with SEND you can contact: