SEN Support
Your child does not need to wait for a diagnosis before school starts responding to identified SEN.
A diagnosis can be useful evidence, but SEN Support is about the child's special educational needs and the support required in education. Waiting for a diagnostic label should not replace identifying needs, putting support in place and reviewing whether it works.
Needs first, label second
Government SEND guidance expects schools to identify and support pupils with SEN. Current school-census guidance also makes clear that a specialist assessment is not required simply to record the main type of SEN. A formal diagnosis may strengthen understanding of a child's profile, but it is not the starting gun for every form of SEN Support.
What to ask the SENCO
- What needs or barriers have been identified?
- What evidence is the school relying on?
- What support or intervention is currently being provided?
- How often is progress or access reviewed?
- What has changed as a result of the support?
- What happens next if the child is still not making expected progress or accessing education?
Keep diagnosis and support as separate questions
Assessment pathway
Does the child need an autism, ADHD or other clinical assessment, and who can make the referral?
School support now
What educational need exists today, and what can the setting reasonably do while any assessment is pending?
Local NHS services also emphasise needs-led support while neurodevelopmental assessment pathways are being considered or awaited.
Practical parent-advocacy guidance, not legal or clinical advice. Reviewed 18 August 2026 against the official sources linked on this page. See how we write, check and correct guidance.
Official sources / further reading
Special educational needs support (GOV.UK) ↗SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years (GOV.UK) ↗School census 2026–27: SEN data guidance (GOV.UK) ↗Kent & Medway NHS: needs-led support / autism assessment service ↗Reviewed 18 August 2026. Individual support depends on the child's needs and the setting's duties; this page is not a legal or clinical assessment.