Learning disability assement & UC

[whatamess100]

It's looking like my y3 doon to be y4 child has a learning difficultie. no help off the school for an assessment and they dont have the funding off the goverment. Its been suggested he needs to go private for an assessment but its £600, i dont have the money.

Does anyone know if you can get help with me being on universal credit?

You can apply for DLA for your child. You don’t need a diagnosis to get DLA as it is based on care and mobility needs. This will provide some extra money for you to support your child. If you are on UC if your child is awarded middle rate or high rate care then you can declare on your claim that you have a disabled child and this should add on the disabled child element.

What type of assessment does your child need. If the school are not being proactive with this then I would suggest you make an appointment with you child’s GP and ask them to do an appropriate NHS referral.

Would you mind sharing what kind of learning difficulties your child has? I'm assuming they don't have a diagnosis yet, if you say they need an assessment?

Are you talking speech and language? Sensory impairment? Cognition? Dyslexia? Autism (suspected or diagnosed)? Something else?

You say you've had no support from school. Do you know if they share your concerns? Or is the 'no support from school' referring to the fact they feel differently to you in terms of your child's needs? If they do share your concerns, what has been put in place so far to support your child in school?

I have no idea about Universal Credits I'm afraid and what support is available to help towards private assessments. I'm just trying to establish what 'no support' from the school means and looks like in your circumstances. It's very easy to latch on and say that's shocking, they should be helping you etc, but I feel we need a bit more background information before coming to that conclusion and advising you what to do next.

As a parent you can make a free request for EHC Needs Assessment to your local EducationAuthority; the first step to a EHCP. It will take time but should not require monies persay.