Assessing a child with SEND

You can request a needs assessment if your child has:

- SEN support at their school, nursery or college

- not made expected progress.

This assessment is called an Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessment. The whole process takes 20 weeks.

Most children and young people’s needs will be met by the help available through their school/ early years setting/ college. Coventry is working closely with schools to support children with additional needs through My Support Plan.

If you would like to talk to someone about your concerns, then please talk to your child's educational setting in the first instance. If you would like further information, then please get in touch with the Statutory Assessment and Review team.

If you have epilepsy, you may feel OK about it, or you may have questions or worries.

Your epilepsy and your choices in life may feel like big issues. This information looks briefly at what epilepsy is and treatment. We also look at sports and leisure, sex, drugs and social life, driving, getting work, how you might feel about your epilepsy, getting support, and how friends can help if you have a seizure.

You may want to look at some sections now, and other sections another time. Our confidential helpline can also give you more information on all of these topics.

Really useful information from the National Autistic Society on dealing with exams.  Including what you can do to help, social stories and information on what adjustments could be put in place.

We have found this wonderful page of information from Care & Support Cornwall which details what Pica is and how to help those with it

Did you know that young people aged 14 or older with a learning disability are eligible for a free annual health check provided by the NHS?

 A health check presents an opportunity for you and your child to discuss any health or well-being concerns with a GP or nurse. It allows GPs to detect and treat potential health issues at an early stage. This proactive approach helps young people acquire new skills for self-care, fostering their independence and enabling them to lead happier, healthier lives. 

Making an account at Kooth is quick and straightforward; we ask for a few bits of personal information, but nothing we could identify them from. The person selects a username and password, and then immediately they are able to access a lot of the site. This includes articles, written by Kooth staff and by other service users, exploring different aspects of health, wellbeing, and day-to-day life. There are also discussion boards around particular questions or concerns, and various spaces that individuals can use for themselves such as a journal, mini-activities (designed to support mental wellbeing), and a goal setting area. They can also, if they wish, send a message to our team of practitioners, or come and join the chat queue for a live text-based conversation with a practitioner (open 12-10pm Mon-Fri and 6-10pm Sat & Sun).

If someone does join a chat with a practitioner, they will be asked to complete one or two questionnaires, to help us understand more about how things are for them at the moment. They will then be offered up to an hour of "speaking" (using text-based communication) to the practitioner, which will typically include thinking about any challenges or concerns they have, setting some goals, and considering how Kooth can best support them. For some individuals, we may suggest a series of weekly chats, with a named practitioner, working towards a particular outcome.

If you’re struggling with your feelings, you're not alone. We have loads of practical tips and advice from young people just like you, as well as information on getting the support you need. 

The Dimensions of Health and Wellbeing is a free online tool providing self-care information to support adults, children and young people in Coventry and Warwickshire. 

You can rate yourself or another person against a number of dimensions related to health and wellbeing.

The Dimensions tool is available 24/7 and creates a Dimensions report which provides information about self-care, local services and support.

Most people with Tourette Syndrome (TS) are diagnosed as children or teenagers. Children generally start to tic between ages five and seven, but they can start as young as three years old.

There is a lot of information about TS available, but Tourettes Action knows that because it is a complicated condition a lot of the material can be quite difficult to understand, so we have gathered information specifically for young people.

Exchange your qualifying mobility allowance for a brand-new car, Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAVWheelchair Accessible Vehicle), scooter or powered wheelchair, so you can enjoy more freedom and independence.

If you are the parent of a child who is blind or partially sighted, or a young adult aged 29 or under who is visually impaired, VICTA is here to help.

The Parent Network Facebook group is your space to support and advise one another, and run local events and groups to create networks of parents across the country. We believe you are the people best placed to provide help and advice if any concerns or problems arise. Other parents and young adults are on hand in the group to provide answers, support and encouragement.

At Whizz-Kidz, our support goes far beyond supplying mobility equipment

We also offer activity programmes, work placements and wheelchair skills training to help you learn new skills and get the most from your wheelchair

Young people's services at Whizz-Kidz are open to young wheelchair users, even if you haven't received equipment from us in the past.

Even better - they're all completely free!

Our range of services offer something for everyone. Whether you want to have fun and make new friends at our programmes, learn something new at wheelchair skills training or prepare for the world of employment with a work placement.

Caring Together Warwickshire’s Young Carers service supports all young carers from age 6 years to age 18 years or up to age 25 if a child with special educational needs and disabilities.

Many young carers don’t think of themselves as a carer, the caring role often grows over time. If you are a young carer, you are probably looking after one of your parents or care for a brother or sister.  You may do extra jobs around the home, cooking, cleaning or helping someone get dressed and move around.  You may also give physical help to a parent, brother or sister who’s disabled or ill.

Caring does not stop when you reach 18, we will introduce and help you get to know our adult carer support team as you move to the adult service.

Sometimes, we all need space to relax and share our experiences with people who understand us. That’s why we offer support and activities to young carers and siblings of people with disabilities. 

Your child could attend one of our virtual book clubs or games nights, or come along to a wellbeing session if they’d like to talk. The choice is theirs!