Obtaining specialist pre-school support

We absorb a huge amount of information about ourselves the environment and our relationships by incidental learning. Many believe up to 80% of this happens through sight. Consequently, your visually impaired child may find it harder to learn than a fully sighted child.

Specialist advice in the home from birth is necessary. If this isn’t happening contact your local authority sensory impairment team covering education and visual impairment and phone the National Blind Children’s Society on 0800 781 1444.

Is a Statutory Assessment necessary?

If under two and developing adequately a Statutory Assessment may be unnecessary. Also, communicating with the under twos may be extremely difficult. However, if requested a local authority must assess through having a duty to promote and safeguard the welfare of children in need. If you are concerned make a referral to your local authority.

Between two and five years your child is more likely to require a Statutory Assessment. Information gathered will inform those working with her in a pre-school setting whilst potentially gaining support from a local authority Qualified Teacher of the Visually Impaired.

It is extremely important that those working with your child in a pre-school are aware of how her visual impairment affects her daily life. Specialist advice and support will enable learning to be made more accessible and appropriate.

A Statutory Assessment

Its purpose is to provide a comprehensive analysis of your child’s visual impairment and any other needs. Information is collected from you, your child, those working in education, medicine and psychology.

The local authority should consider a Statutory Assessment if your child:

· has not responded to relevant and purposeful measures taken by an educational setting or by an external specialist

· may call for special educational provision that could not reasonable be provided within the resources available to a mainstream educational setting in the area.

A Statutory Assessment can be made with your permission by:

· parent or care

· educational setting

· Health Authority, Social Services, voluntary bodies or independent organisations like the National Blind Children’s Society.

We recommend that you request a Statutory Assessment because at some stage you must agree in writing and many also find the whole process stressful. One way of minimising stress is to be in control of a situation as much as possible.

Request a Statutory Assessment by writing briefly to the Director of Education stating why you want it to take place. Get her contact details from your town or county hall.

Tips

· Phone 0845 60 222 for a free copy of the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. Your local authority must have regard to its content.

· Respond to everything in writing and keep a copy

· File all information in a ring bind fold and in date order

· Keep a diary to record key dates and your observations about your child. It will help you contribute.

Your local authority has a duty to assess need and make provision.