You know your child better than anyone, so if you have any concerns about their development, trust your instincts. You are their greatest advocate.
Some children and young people's neurological differences can be identified at birth, or during their pre-school years. Your child's developmental milestones might be met earlier or later than their peers, for example walking, talking and toileting.
Other differences might not be apparent until your child is older and at primary or secondary school. This page suggests people and places you can go to to discuss any challenges your child is having.
Spotting Difficulties
As your child develops you might notice they are hitting their developmental milestones earlier or later than other children their age. These milestones could be in areas such as:
For younger children often the first difference you or others become aware of is delayed communication. But a child's differences can become more noticeable as they progress through primary school and secondary school, or during puberty.
It may be that you aren't the first person to notice differences. Some parents can adjust their communication and interactions to better support their child without realising it, especially if no siblings are in the household.
It's important to keep in mind that if differences are noticed in various settings, such as at family members' homes or by preschool/school staff, it doesn't mean you did anything wrong by not recognising them yourself.
If you have noticed your child has differences with some of the following things, it may be an indication that they need some extra help:
Your child's school or preschool may have already identified that your child needs extra support in some areas. If you have any concerns, bring this up with their keyworker, class teacher or SENCO to ensure everyone has all the information they need to help your child.
Discussing With the School
If your child attends a nursery or preschool setting you may wish to speak to their key worker to discuss any differences they have.
Your child's keyworker will have the most contact with your child so they should be able to give you information about how they are coping, while the Early Years Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo) at the setting will be able to suggest reasonable adjustments they can begin to put in place to support your child.
At primary, secondary or special schools, you can talk to your child's class teacher, or form tutor who will have built up a relationship with your child.
However, each setting will have a designated Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo) responsible for the school's SEND policy and for supporting the teaching of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). They can work with your child's teachers and across the school to provide support for your child. In some cases your child's school may work with other professionals like Educational Psychologists to assess what support your child could benefit from.
Seeking Advice From the GP
You may wish to contact your child's GP to discuss any developmental worries. They will be able to refer your child to other healthcare professionals and services like the Occupational Therapy Service, Speech and Language Therapy Service, Community Paediatricians or Neurodevelopment Services.
Your GP may recommend your child be put on a waiting list for a neurodevelopmental assessment. It is recognised that current waiting times for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments are long. For this reason, some parents and carers may choose to seek private (independent) assessments or ask their GP for their Right To Choose provider for the assessment.
Talking With Your Child
If appropriate, it can be useful to have conversations with your child about how they feel, if they're unhappy at school or if they're worried about their learning. Being able to feed these feelings back to their teacher, or your GP can help to solve problems and make their time in school a little easier.
Getting Support
It's important to remember that your child is entitled to appropriate support regardless of whether they have a diagnosis. Your young person's needs are the most important thing, so while it can be useful to think about the benefits and challenges of being referred for an assessment and going through the diagnostic pathway, your child will be able to access the same support anyway.
If your child is experiencing any differences, the Healthy Child Service can offer advice and help refer you to specialists for further support:
Healthy Child Service 0-5 Years
If your child is between 0 and 2 years old you can discuss your concerns with a Health Visitor during your Healthy Child Service developmental reviews which take place when your child is:
You can call Just One Number to speak to a member of the team who can help you by providing health advice and information about your baby or child. They are able to support you over the telephone, via video call or text. Call 0300 300 0123 or text 07520 631590 with any questions or concerns.
Healthy Child Service 5-19 Years
You can call Just One Number to speak to a member of the team who can help you by providing health advice and information about your child or young person. They are able to support you over the telephone, via video call or text. Call 0300 300 0123 or text 07520 631590 with any questions or concerns.
How We Work
Norfolk & Waveney Children & Young People's Health Services provide a wide range of free health support and services for children and young people. Some of our services are offered to all families this is called our ‘universal’ offer. Some of the services are targeted and specialist, to work with children and families that need further support and intervention.
Let us know what you think!
We've been working together in Norfolk and Waveney with families and professionals to put together information, advice and resources that are helpful to families. Let us know what you think, and anything we could change or add to make it even better.
If you live in Norfolk
You can contact the Healthy Child Service team by calling Just One Number on 0300 300 0123 or texting Parentline on 07520 631590. Our opening hours are 8am-6pm Monday-Friday (excluding bank holidays) and 9am-1pm on Saturdays.
If you are 11-19 you can text ChatHealth on 07480 635060 for confidential advice from one of our team.
If you live in Waveney
Norfolk SEND Local Offer provide information and advice on services for young people with additional needs in Norfolk.
Suffolk SEND Local Offer provide information and advice on services for young people with additional needs in Waveney.
Mencap is a national charity who support people with learning disabilities. They offer a free Learning Disability Helpline with advice and guidance. Call 0808 808 1111 to speak to a trained professional.
Kooth offers online counselling, advice and emotional well-being support for anyone aged 10-18, seven days a week until 10pm.
Family Hubs bring together a range of services so you can access advice and support on parenting, your lifestyle and family when you need it. Family Hubs operate online and in person with seven Family Hubs sites across Norfolk, where parents and carers can drop in for support.
