You may be asked to give your permission for the school to refer your child to a specialist professional, e.g. a Speech and Language Therapist or Educational Psychologist. This will help the school and you to understand your child’s particular needs better and be able to support them more effectively in school;

The specialist professional will work with your child to understand their needs and make recommendations as to the ways your child is given support.

The LA Local Offer

• Local Authorities and schools are required to publish and keep under review information about services they expect to be available for the children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) aged 0-25.

This is the ‘Local Offer’;

• The intention of the Local Offer is to improve choice and transparency for families. It will also be an important resource for parents in understanding the range of services and provision in the local area.

This link will take you to Kent County Councils local offer; it includes all information concerning pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. (SEND)

• www.kent.gov.uk/special-educational-needs

Other useful resources/links:

• Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) - Kent County Council
• Parent Support | Laleham Gap School (lgs.kent.sch.uk)
• A charity run by parents & carers of disabled children & young people (forustoo.org)
• Information, Advice and Support Kent (IASK) - Kent County Council
• Home page | Nasen
• Children's Therapies - The Pod | Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (kentcht.nhs.uk)