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If everything feels like a lot right now, that is normal. You do not need to understand the whole system today. These four things give you solid ground to stand on.
My child has just been identified as having SEND — what happens next?
Usually the first step is support in school, not a legal document. School should put extra help in place, review how it is working and change it if it is not. Ask school who is coordinating that support, what they are trying and when they will review it. If needs are greater than school can meet from its own resources, that is the point at which an EHCP assessment is worth discussing. Nothing has to be decided in one meeting.
Understanding the SEND system without the jargon
SEND has a lot of initials: SENCO, EP, OT, SALT, SEN Support, EHCP, SENDIASS. None of them are as complicated as they sound. Our Jargon Buster explains each one in a sentence, so you can read letters and reports without stopping every line.
Open the SEND Jargon BusterThe most important things parents wish they had known earlier
Write everything down from day one — dates, who said what, what was agreed. Keep every report and letter in one place. Ask for things in writing. You know your child better than anyone in the room, and what you describe counts as evidence. Waiting lists are long, so start looking for support while you wait rather than after. And you are allowed to ask what something means.
Building your support network
Almost no family gets through this alone. A network usually includes school, a health professional or two, one or two organisations, a local or online group of parents who understand, and sometimes paid support like a Personal Assistant or therapist. You build it one person at a time.
If you already know what kind of help you are looking for, you can start searching now.