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<p>Arrangements for referrals for diagnosis of a learning disability are a matter
for local determination and a referral might be made via education or health. The
new framework for special educational needs, introduced by the Children and Families
Act 2014, provides a basis for the different sectors to work together in supporting
the assessment of children’s needs and identifying the support they need.</p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p>The Healthy Child Programme plays an important role in supporting the
early identification of a complex need in the first five years of a child’s life.
This is the key universal service for improving the health and well-being of children,
through health and development reviews, health promotion, parenting support, screening
and immunisation programmes.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>All early years providers
are required to have arrangements in place to identify and support children with special
educational needs (SEN) or disabilities, and to promote equality of opportunity for
children in their care as set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, which
is published online: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2</a>.
Early years providers and educational settings should have arrangements in place that
include assessment of SEN as part of the setting’s overall process for monitoring
and assessing children.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>All schools must use their best
endeavours to make sure that children with SEN get the support they need. When deciding
on the provision to be made for a particular child or young person with SEN or a disability,
schools and local authorities must refer to the SEND Code of Practice, which is available
online here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25</a>.
Teachers, and others working in schools, will work closely with their local Special
Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) when supporting children with SEN and disabilities,
including those with dyslexia and dyspraxia.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department
is working with dyslexia organisations to facilitate better support for children with
dyslexia, including funding of £204,000 in 2015/16 to the Dyslexia - Specific Learning
Difficulties Trust to provide expert advice, information and training on literacy
difficulties, speech and language difficulties and dyslexia to schools and parents.
This includes training teachers to deliver quality teaching and Special Educational
Needs (SEN) support for pupils with dyslexia.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A grant
of £550,000 in 2015/16 has been made to the British Dyslexia Association to fund a
project to address issues around early identification and effective provision. The
project will develop a certification framework which provides a graduated route towards
a whole school policy for supporting children with literacy difficulties.</p><p> </p>
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