Early Intervention Before Your Child Attends an Early Years Education Setting

Your baby or child may need support prior to attending any early years education setting outside of your home. If they have a medical condition, they may be known to medical teams based in hospitals. They may be known to professionals in the community such as a paediatrician, community nurses, or to services such as speech and language therapy, physiotherapy or  occupational therapy.

Some babies and young children receive additional support on the health visitor SEND Pathway. Any of these professional’s may offer direct support or provide you with advice around meeting your child’s needs.

Some children with medical, sensory, physical or complex additional needs may require early educational support in their home or in locally delivered groups from specialist teaching teams. These are early support service and the sensory support team. Babies and young children can be referred to these teams from birth and referrals are often made by health and medical professionals already involved with your child. These teams will partner with you to plan and implement support for your child,  providing you with advice and support when the time is right for your child to begin attending an early education setting.

Young children with emerging needs may benefit from accessing local groups, such as those which run in children’s centres. Your health visitor may signpost you to these groups so that your child can receive input around a particular aspect of their development.

Any professional that you meet before your child begins to attend a setting outside of their home, will tell you that there are many benefits for your child which come from attending an early education setting.

There is information available on the types of settings, and advice for choosing the right setting.