How to access the Down Syndrome Service

Support from our team usually occurs after a referral is made by an Educational Psychologist on behalf of you (as parents and carers) and your child’s school.

The Educational Psychologist’s referral will detail your child’s strengths, the impact of their Down syndrome and their educational needs. We will consult with your child’s school, as well as speaking to you, as parents or carers. From this we will produce a tailored support programme.

If you think your child has a learning need, you can talk to a number of professionals for advice including medical or social care professionals, your child’s teacher, the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) or one of their teachers if attending pre-school.

We can support children and young people with or without a Statement of Special Educational Needs.

You can’t currently refer your child to the Special Educational Needs Inclusion Service for Down Syndrome (SENIS DS). The referral must be made via an EA Educational Psychologist (EP).

If you have a concern about your child, speak to their teacher or a healthcare professional such as a GP or social worker, who will then provide advice and guidance on the issue.

For more details on to how to access support from the Service see our Making a Referral and Timeline and Criteria information. 

The Early Years Hub (EYH) is the single point of referral to our service. Referral through the EYH must be made via an EA Educational Psychologist who has received a referral request and report from a Community Paediatrician.

You can talk to a number of professionals for advice including medical or social care professionals. You can also phone our Service for advice.

The Early Years Hub (EYH) is the single point of referral to our service. Referral through the EYH must be made via an EA Educational Psychologist who has received a referral request and report from:

• a pre-school setting or;
• Community Paediatrician.

You can talk to a number of professionals for advice including medical or social care professionals. You can also phone our Service for advice.

If your child or young person has Down syndrome and associated Special Educational Needs, they may be referred to this Service by an EA Educational Psychologist.

If your child or young person has not been referred to or is not being supported by our Service you can talk to a number of professionals for advice including medical or social care professionals and the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) in your child’s school.  You can also phone our Service for advice.

The SEN Inclusion Service for Down Syndrome is a team focused on providing support to children and young people with DS and associated Special Educational Needs (SEN) in pre-school, primary, post-primary and specialist settings.

Once a referral is received and if it meets the referral criteria, a member of the team will be allocated to your child. 

Our team member will then complete an initial assessment gathering information from the child, you (as parents or carers) and their school. They may also need to observe your child in school, but you will be advised of this in advance.

Once this assessment is complete, we will develop a plan for the most appropriate form of support to help meet your child’s current needs. We will do this in collaboration with the child, you (the child’s parents) and their school.

The support provided by our Service is based on the specific needs of each child or young person with Down syndrome and their associated SEN. If support is required, we can provide resources, training, advice and guidance for parents and schools. We can also provide bespoke support for your child or young person where appropriate.

Support can be provided with or without a Statement of Special Educational Needs being in place.