Edgar - it depends. When the stats say that the percentage of DC's with SN's hasn't increased, does that cover Primary age as a whole? Because if so, these DC's may not yet have been dxd in Reception.
Where I live, there just AREN'T enough pre-school places for everyone who wants to send their DC. And the lists are run on a first-come, first-served basis.
For my DS3's year, if your DC was born after April, they will get a year less at pre-school, simply because there isn't enough places.
I put DS3's name down when he was just 7 days old. He will get the three mornings or afternoons a week I wanted, from age 2y9m. From 3y9m, he will have 5 mornings or afternoons a week.
Those that don't get a place at preschool are unlikely to have dxd SN's, unless they are glaringly obvious, as they aren't in any formal setting. So often diagnoses aren't made until Y1/Y2, or if there is a school like my primary, often not until the end of Y6, on Secondary transfer.
Which can often mean they have had no help for their SN's until the start of Y7. Which is why Secondary schools have so many issues with DC's coming in unable to read etc.
So while the percentage may not have changed overall, I'll bet that hardly any of the SN's in these statistics are dxd before Reception.
Hence 'NT' DC's starting YR unable to use cutlery, or not yet toilet trained.
And also, my Primary itself has very recent data on the jump in DC's who start YR not toilet trained and unable to fully self care after being forced to go to a single intake, meaning that there are many more barely 4yo's there. It's only been the last 4 intakes (including this year's YR) that have not had staggered starts on our school.
It's hardly surprising that a just-turned 4yo's self care skills are far below those if a child aged 4y11m, is it?
At 4yo, my DS2 had only been walking at ALL for 5 months. (Due to his disability, he took his first steps at 3y7m). By age 4y10m, when he started school, he had been walking for 16 months. It stands to reason that his walking skills were vastly improved by the extra 10 months between age 4, and 4y11m.
And YY to whoever says that it is bloody difficult to get OT, Physio, SALT if you do not fit the MC criteria. You are judged and find it much harder to access the services you need.
With DD, she first saw an EP at age 5yo, in YR. In her SECOND Primary school. I had been trying to get her school Nursery, and then her YR teacher, to refer her, but they refused, telling me it was 'poor parenting'.
I faced that year on year, through 4 Primary schools (forced house moves, unfortunately, after the first move which was from an unsupportive school to a more supportive one).
It got to the point at my DC's current Primary school, that the SenCo there apologised to me after DD had left and gone to Secondary school. She had 'realised that it couldn't be poor parenting with your DD, because your DS1 has all these skills and more'.
What fucking good that did DD after she had left and had had no support with her SEN's for 5 years is utterly beyond me.
So yeah, you get judged. And it's only if you can produce another DC who DOESN'T have these issues that suddenly people sit up and realise that it's NOT your 'chaotic family', or 'poor parenting', but an undxd SN.
I DO agree that M&B units for teen mums are a good idea. But they already exist. They are just criminally underfunded.
I had my DD at 16, and a lot of the way I parent now is because I WAS in a M&B unit when she was small.
I learnt things like First Aid, how to wean a baby on healthy food, how to play with a baby. And much much more.
Having a baby at 16 doesn't make you a 'bad' parent. It you get 'bad' parents in all age groups, across all social classes.