We have schools in our area with high numbers of children with special educational needs. Our concern is that these needs are not being picked up early enough. How can we improve this?
The key is to maximise the understanding of parents and paid carers to help them develop the skills to enhance development. Looking for deficits should not be the focus, but promoting the most positive start in life for all children.
There are children and families who are more vulnerable, so working with other agencies and the voluntary sector is important to focus some interventions as well as promoting universal services.
While children’s needs must be recognised early and remedial services and support offered, we must avoid adding labels to the child and seek to promote the best start in life.
Answered by Paul Clark, director of the Potential Organisation. He was director of children’s services in Harrow for seven years
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