Essential cookies keep you signed in. May we also set optional analytics cookies (Google Analytics 4, US-based)?
Rejecting is just as easy, and nothing else changes. Cookie details
If you have a quiet worry about how your baby or toddler is developing, you are not overreacting and you are not alone. The years before school are when extra help makes the biggest difference — and there is a whole network of people ready to support you. This guide explains who spots needs early, what happens next, and how to get the right help, gently and at your own pace, wherever you live in the UK.
Key facts
A child’s brain grows and changes faster in the first few years of life than at any other time. That is why support given early — while skills like communication, movement, play, and confidence are first forming — can have such a powerful and lasting effect. Early help is not about labelling a child or deciding their future. It is about giving them the right encouragement, at the right moment, to thrive.
Importantly, none of this depends on having a diagnosis. Across all four UK nations, support in the early years responds to a child’s needs, not to a label. So if you have a worry, you never have to wait for a formal answer before things can start to move.
In the early years there is a whole team around your child, and any of them might be the first to notice that a little extra help would make a difference. You are part of that team too — often the most important part. Here are the people most likely to be involved.
Trust your instincts
Parents are very often the first to sense that something is different. You do not need to wait for a routine check — if you have a worry, you can raise it with your health visitor, GP, or your child’s nursery at any time. Writing down what you have noticed, and when, can really help that first conversation.
Early years settings do far more than look after children. Because staff see your child playing and learning alongside others every day, they are well placed to notice when something might need a closer look — and to put gentle, everyday support in place. The exact roles and titles differ across the UK, so it is worth knowing the right name for where you live.
When you are looking at settings, our guide to choosing a nurserywalks through what to look for — and the questions further down this page will help you find one that supports additional needs well.
When a setting in England identifies that a young child may need extra help, it follows the graduated approach— a simple, repeating four-step cycle. The same gentle principle of “notice, plan, do, then look again” runs through every UK nation’s early-years support, even where the wording differs.
A label is not the starting point
The graduated approach is designed to act on what a child needs now, not to wait for a diagnosis. In Scotland this sits within the GIRFEC approach and a Child’s Plan; in Wales the ALNCo co-ordinates Additional Learning Provision; in Northern Ireland support is staged through the setting and the Education Authority.
One of the most reassuring things to know is this: you do not have to wait until your child starts school to seek a formal, legally backed plan. For most young children, the graduated approach within a good setting is enough. But where needs are greater, a statutory assessment can begin in the early years — and starting early matters, because these processes take time.
For a full walkthrough of how these assessments work, see our SEND rights and processes guide, the EHCP process explainer, or take the SEND wizard to find guidance tailored to your nation.
Beyond your child’s setting, a range of services can work with young children and their families. Most can be reached through a health visitor, GP, or nursery, and in some areas you can refer yourself. Exactly what is available will depend on where you live, so it is always worth asking locally.
Portage
Portage is a home-visiting educational service for pre-school children with additional support needs and their families. A Portage worker visits regularly to play and work with your child at home, building on what they can already do in small, achievable steps. Availability varies by area — ask your health visitor, GP, or local authority how to access it.
Speech & Language Therapy (SLT)
SLT supports children with communication difficulties, and with eating and swallowing. Early language is one of the most common reasons under-fives are referred for help. You can usually be referred by a health visitor, GP, nursery, or in many areas you can self-refer — check your local NHS service.
Occupational & physiotherapy
Occupational therapists help with everyday skills, sensory needs, and fine motor development; physiotherapists support movement and physical development. Both are commonly involved with young children who have physical or co-ordination difficulties.
Community paediatrics & child health
Community paediatricians and child development teams assess and co-ordinate care for children with more complex or medical needs, often bringing several professionals together so families are not left to chase each service separately.
Audiology & vision services
Because hearing and sight problems can look like a developmental delay, early checks are important. Newborn hearing screening and pre-school vision checks help rule these out or get them treated quickly.
Extra support in a setting often comes with extra funding, so a worry about cost should not stop you asking for help. The schemes below are specific to England— the other UK nations have their own, different arrangements, so always check with your local authority or council about what is available where you live.
If you live in Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland
The Disability Access Fund and SEN Inclusion Fund are England-only. Wales (including Flying Start in some areas), Scotland, and Northern Ireland fund early-years additional support through their own routes. Ask your local authority or council, or an independent advice service, what early-years funding and support you may be entitled to.
The right setting can make an enormous difference to a child with additional needs — and the warmth and attitude of the staff matter as much as any policy. Trust how a place makes you and your child feel, and use these questions to dig a little deeper on a visit.
For more on visiting, comparing, and settling into a setting, read our choosing a nursery guide.
Enter your postcode to discover nurseries, primary schools, and settings with strong SEND provision in your area.
Search results open with filters matching this guide
Starting school is a big step for any family, and a little more so when your child has additional needs. The good news is that a smooth transition is almost always the result of good planning — not luck. Starting conversations early gives everyone time to get it right.
The first year of school is called Reception in England and Wales, Primary 1 (P1) in Scotland and Northern Ireland, with formal Year 1 following. For more on getting ready, see our school readiness and Reception entry guide.
Education is devolved, so each UK nation has its own framework, its own statutory plan, and its own funding for additional needs in the early years. The terms matter: it is SEND in England, ALN in Wales, ASN in Scotland, and SENin Northern Ireland — they are not interchangeable.
You have real rights in the early years, and good professionals will welcome you using them. Here are some of the most useful to know — the exact route differs by nation, but the principle of acting on a child’s needs runs through all four.
Raise a concern at any time
All nationsYou do not need to wait for a routine check. You can ask your health visitor, GP, or your child’s setting to look more closely whenever you are worried.
Support without a diagnosis
All nationsEarly years support is based on identified need, not on a label. A setting should put help in place as soon as a need is recognised — it cannot insist on a diagnosis first.
Request a statutory assessment early
All nations (different plans)You can ask for an EHC needs assessment (England), or seek an IDP (Wales), Child’s Plan or CSP consideration (Scotland), or a statutory assessment (Northern Ireland) before your child starts school.
Be involved in decisions
All nationsYou should be a full partner in assessing, planning, and reviewing your child’s support, and you have the right to see the records and reports held about your child.
Free, impartial advice
All nationsEvery area provides a free advice service for additional needs, and national charities offer guidance — you never have to navigate the system alone.
Challenge a decision
All nations (different tribunals)If you disagree with a decision, you can appeal: to the SEND Tribunal (England), the Education Tribunal for Wales, the Additional Support Needs Tribunal within the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland, or SENDIST NI.
You don’t have to do this alone. These organisations offer information, advice, and support for families of young children with additional needs across the UK.
Council for Disabled Children
Leading source of expertise on disabled children and SEND across the early years and education system. Resources for families and professionals.
councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk
National Portage Association
Promotes and supports the Portage home-visiting service. Find local Portage provision and learn how the model works.
portage.org.uk
NHS — health visitor & reviews
Information on health visiting, development reviews, and how to raise concerns about your child’s development.
nhs.uk
IPSEA (England)
Independent Provider of Special Education Advice. Free legal-based advice on SEND, including EHC needs assessments for young children.
ipsea.org.uk
SNAP Cymru (Wales)
Independent information, advice and support on ALN for families in Wales.
snapcymru.org
Enquire (Scotland)
Scotland’s national advice service for additional support for learning. Helpline and guides for parents and carers.
enquire.org.uk
Children’s Law Centre / SENAC (NI)
Independent advice on SEN and education law in Northern Ireland, including statutory assessment.
childrenslawcentre.org.uk
Your local SENDIASS / advice service
Every area provides a free, impartial information, advice and support service for SEND (named differently in each nation).
Contact your local authority
Planning the move from nursery to school?
School Atlas Pro gives you SEN provision data, inspection judgements on personal development and early years, and parent reviews for every school in the UK. Compare settings side-by-side to find the right, welcoming environment for your child’s first years.
View Pro plansSources
This guide draws on official UK government and NHS guidance and reputable national charities:
See also our nation explainers: ALN (Wales), ASN (Scotland), and SEN (Northern Ireland). This guide is for general information only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. It is not a substitute for professional assessment or diagnosis. If you have concerns about your child, speak to their GP, health visitor, or early years setting. Last reviewed June 2026.
SEND Rights & Processes
EHCPs, IDPs, CSPs, Statements — the full system explained
Choosing a Nursery
How to find and settle into the right early years setting
Reception Entry & School Readiness
Getting ready for that big first year at school
The SEND Hub
All-nation support, the wizard, and finding the right school
Search nurseries and schools by SEND provision, inspection grade, and performance data across all four UK nations. Compare side-by-side and make an informed, confident decision.