No diagnosis yet: what can you ask school to do?

You can see that something is difficult for your child. Perhaps instructions get lost, the playground feels overwhelming or getting through the school gate takes all their energy. You may be waiting for an assessment, or you may not yet know whether one is needed.

School should not delay or refuse SEN support simply because your child has no formal diagnosis. The starting point is understanding their needs and what would help them access education. IPSEA explains support before diagnosis.

This guide covers England and the current SEN support system. You do not need to wait for proposed SEND reforms to ask for help. Sources checked on 27 September 2026. This is general information, not an assessment of your child’s needs.

Start with what is happening

Ask for a conversation with the class teacher and the SENCO, the special educational needs co-ordinator. Bring two or three examples: the situation, what your child found difficult and the effect on their day. Include what helps and your child’s own views wherever possible.

You do not need to prove that a particular diagnosis explains it. If home and school see different things, ask for both accounts to be recorded and explored.

Our support-before-diagnosis toolkit includes an email to request the meeting and an observations diary. A few useful notes are enough; you do not need a complete diary before approaching school.

Ask for a plan you can understand

These questions can keep the meeting focused:

1. What are you seeing in lessons, at break and during transitions?
2. How will you assess the needs we are noticing, and does my child need SEN support?
3. What support is already in place and what can we try next?
4. Who will provide it, how often and when will it start?
5. How will my child’s views shape the plan?
6. When will we review it and how will we know whether it is helping?

Schools should use a cycle of Assess, Plan, Do, Review, involving parents in planning and reviewing SEN support. Ask for a written record of the agreed support and review date; schools may use different names and formats for their records. Read IPSEA’s explanation of the graduated approach.

Discuss support that matches the difficulty

Possible strategies to discuss include:

• Instructions are difficult to follow: shorter steps, a written or visual reminder, and a check that the task is understood.
• Changes feel overwhelming: advance notice, a visual timetable or a predictable transition routine.
• A busy environment makes participation harder: a different workspace, a quieter option or an agreed break.
• Asking for help is difficult: a familiar adult, a discreet signal or a planned check-in.

These are examples to explore with the child and school, not a prescribed package. Agree what will be tried and check its effect. Support should make participation more accessible, rather than simply make distress less visible.

Review the support, not just the child’s behaviour

At the review, first check whether the agreed support actually happened. Then consider the child’s experience, access to learning and progress towards the agreed outcome. A strategy that was not delivered cannot fairly be judged ineffective.

Use the toolkit’s support tracker to record whether to continue, adapt or stop a strategy. If difficulties persist, ask whether specialist advice is needed and what the next step will be. Avoid leaving with only “we’ll keep an eye on it”.

If school says to wait for a diagnosis

Ask what needs-based help can begin while assessment is pending, and request the reasons for any refusal in writing. You can seek free advice from your local SENDIASS.

If SEN support is not resolving the difficulty, ask about further assessment. A parent can request an EHC needs assessment directly; the legal test concerns whether the child has or may have SEN and may need provision through an EHC plan. School agreement is not required. IPSEA explains the assessment test.

For unresolved concerns about the school’s SEN provision, follow its published complaints procedure. GOV.UK explains SEN complaints. Get individual advice if you are unsure which route applies.

Take one step today

Use the meeting-request email and trackers, or explore support families can ask about before diagnosis. You can begin with the needs you see today.