Best Practice

A needs-led approach: Why we can’t wait for SEN diagnosis

SEND Inclusion
If we wait for children to be diagnosed with SEN, we will exacerbate a two-tier system of haves and have-nots. Sara Alston on why we must focus on an individual's needs regardless of the label and provide SEN support regardless of diagnosis
More than a label: If schools focus on a child's diagnosis and what we think that says about them, we risk losing sight of what specific needs they actually have - Adobe Stock

In my experience, waiting lists for a diagnosis of autism and/or ADHD are averaging around 12 to 18 months. This is a significant length of time in any child’s life. Yet, too often access to special needs support in schools, within the exam system and other services is dependent on this hard-to-obtain diagnosis. This reliance on diagnoses is both inequitable and potentially harmful to children.

A key issue is that we are, in reality, developing a two-tier system where many parents are seeking private diagnoses for their children as they are not prepared to wait for the NHS or other public services.

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