Early Years ALN in Wales: What Parents Wish Schools Understood About Nursery & KS1 Children

 

Early Years ALN in Wales: What Parents Wish Schools Understood About Nursery & KS1 Children



Learn Without Limits CIC – November 2025

Parents of babies, toddlers, nursery and KS1 children across Wales often tell us:

💬 “People keep saying they’re too young to worry about this… but I know something isn’t right.”

In the early years, needs can change rapidly — but support should never wait.
Under Welsh law, support is based on a child’s needs, not on their age, diagnosis, or school stage.

This article brings together parental experience, expert insight from Welsh paediatricians and ALNCos, and the legal duties set out in Welsh legislation.

1. Early signs are often subtle — but important

Early needs may look like:

Under Sections 2–3 of the ALN Act 2018, any child showing a learning difficulty or disability that creates barriers to learning may have Additional Learning Needs.

Early patterns matter — early support changes outcomes.

2. Behaviour is communication

Before language develops, children show distress more than they say it.

A child might:

  • run away

  • hide

  • scream

  • cling

  • freeze/shut down

  • become non-verbal

  • bite, hit or throw

  • refuse to enter noisy spaces

These are communications, not misbehaviour.

The ALN Code for Wales (2021, Chapter 6.3) emphasises that behaviour must be understood as a message about unmet needs.

3. Disabilities, chronic conditions & rare diseases MUST be recognised early

Some children arrive with a diagnosis; others are in the diagnostic process; others are SWAN (syndrome without a name).

Neurodevelopmental

Autism, ADHD, PDA, developmental delay, learning disability, Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Physical disabilities

Cerebral palsy, spina bifida, neuromuscular conditions, mobility impairments.

Medical conditions

Type 1 diabetes, epilepsy, asthma, heart/lung conditions, gastrointestinal conditions, epilepsy clusters, PEG feeding, chronic pain conditions.

Sensory impairments

Hearing impairment, deafness, visual impairment, cortical visual impairment.

Genetic & rare disorders

Down syndrome, chromosome syndromes, metabolic disorders, SWAN.

Progressive diseases

Childhood dementia, degenerative metabolic conditions.

Cancer & treatment effects

Leukaemia, immunosuppression, fatigue patterns, recovery from chemotherapy.

Post-viral & fatigue-based illness

Long Covid, chronic fatigue, unexplained exhaustion.

Under Section 2 of the ALN Act, any condition that creates a barrier to learning may mean the child has ALN.

Under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, disabled children are entitled to care and support in addition to education-related support.

4. The home–school communication diary: simple but transformative



A communication book (paper or digital) gathers daily observations from both environments.

Parents may record:

  • sleep

  • fatigue crashes

  • sensory episodes

  • medical symptoms

  • seizures

  • appetite or food refusal

  • bowel/bladder changes

  • triggers

  • morning routines

  • after-school meltdowns

  • medication effects

School/nursery may record:

  • transitions

  • sensory overwhelm

  • social interactions

  • seizures or absence episodes

  • fatigue patterns

  • toileting concerns

  • communication

  • triggers

  • distress patterns

  • positives & strengths

Why this matters

Over weeks, patterns emerge that neither side could see alone.

Paediatrics, SALT, OT, epilepsy nurses, oncology teams and ND assessors often consider diaries high-value clinical evidence.

5. How to request assessments in Wales (correct routes for 2025)

Assessment pathways depend on whether the child is in school or Electively Home Educated (EHE).

A. Children in a maintained nursery or school

Most ND or developmental referrals go through:

  • the ALNCo, or

  • the school’s Early Years team

Schools are legally responsible for identifying needs under Sections 11–14 of the ALN Act 2018.

Schools may refer to:

Parents can speak to their GP, but most GPs in Wales will redirect ND queries back to the school, because the pathway for enrolled children is education-led.

B. Children who are Electively Home Educated (EHE)

The referral route is normally through:

They can refer directly to paediatrics or ND triage.

EHE children must not be disadvantaged.
The ALN Code (2021, s. 2.29) confirms that LAs still hold responsibilities toward EHE children when ALN is known or suspected.

6. ALWAYS check hearing and sight before ND referrals

Paediatricians in Wales strongly recommend:

✔ Hearing test (via GP → audiology)
✔ Sight test (optician — free for children)

Because:

This is a critical step many parents are never told about.

7. What Welsh paediatricians wish parents knew

1. Real-life evidence is gold — messy is fine

Short videos (20–30 seconds) of:

These often more clinically useful than long written reports. For safeguarding reasons, we urge parents to share short videos/photos/audio with professionals where appropriate, but NEVER on social media. 

2. Regression matters

If a child:

  • stops speaking

  • loses motor skills

  • regresses socially

  • becomes more fatigued

  • loses skills after illness

Tell your paediatrician immediately.
Regression is an important diagnostic tool.

3. You don’t need a theory — just describe what you see

Paediatricians are used to translating parental observations into clinical language.

4. Early health history is crucial

Include:

Parents often forget details that clinicians find critical.

5. Masking fools professionals

If the school reports “no issues”, share what happens at home.
Paediatricians know masking hides distress.

6. Fatigue is medical, not behavioural

Children with:

often look “fine” at school but crash at home.

Fatigue = clinical information.

7. Clear information speeds up the pathway

Using a diary, structured notes and videos prevents multi-month delays.

8. What ALNCos in Wales wish parents knew

1. You do NOT need a diagnosis for support

Under Section 2 of the ALN Act, needs alone trigger ALN — not labels.

2. You can contact the ALNCo directly

You do not need to go through the teacher first.

3. Keep communication polite — but documented

Emails create a record that:

  • protects the child

  • supports the ALNCo

  • helps escalate issues if needed

4. Medical needs are ALN needs if they create barriers

If a medical condition such as diabetes, epilepsy, spina bifida, cancer treatment, mobility difficulties or another long-term health need creates a barrier to accessing education, the child may have Additional Learning Needs under Section 2 of the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018.

Schools frequently miss this — ALNCos want parents to know it.

5. Masking hides need

Ask staff to observe:

  • transitions

  • lunch

  • PE

  • noisy/unstructured times

  • lining up

  • busy corridors

This is where needs show up most.

6. You can request a meeting ANYTIME

You do not need to wait for a review cycle.
You can request:

whenever concerns escalate.

7. Multi-agency working is a legal requirement

Under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, agencies must cooperate when a child has care and support needs.

9. What parents can do at home

  • build predictable routines

  • keep transitions gentle

  • use “first–then” language

  • create a calm sensory retreat

  • observe fatigue and sensory triggers

  • use visuals

  • maintain a communication diary

  • document patterns

  • share consistent information with the school

These simple steps create safety, stability, and insight.

Final Thoughts

Early years support in Wales is not about labels — it’s about understanding the child in front of us.

Whether a child has a diagnosed disability, an emerging need, a chronic health condition, sensory differences, or unexplained distress, they deserve compassion, safety, and access to education now.

Under Welsh law, a child does not need to fail, fall behind, or meet a diagnostic threshold to receive support.
Needs alone are enough.

When parents, education, and health work together, and when early signs are taken seriously, children thrive.



at
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)