When a child is aged between 0 to 5 years, they are said to be in their important ‘early years’. These early years can be especially crucial for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). 

In this section we have put together the details of services and support available to families with SEND children in this age group. Our mantra is, ‘You don’t know what you don’t know’, so we encourage you to look through all the sections on this page (though probably not all at once!), because you may find that it contains information relevant to your family, you just didn’t realise that was what it was called.

You may not have a diagnosis but suspect that your child has a special educational need or disability, but are unsure of what to do, so we’ve also have included an ‘I’m concerned about my child’s development’ section.

We understand that you may also find yourself introduced into a new world of services, with its own language, which can be bewildering and confusing, so we’ve tried to include useful guides and websites, to help. We’ve also included information about parent support groups, as parents tell us that often their best source of support and information are other parent carers.

And finally, so you’re prepared for what’s coming up, we’ve included a ‘What Next?’ section, with things to consider when your child is approaching school age.