Holistically bridging the gap between education and healthcare: A case study model of assessment

Abstract

In today's special educational needs and disability system, children spend an incomprehensible amount of time on waiting lists to see specialists, and teachers and parents spend an inordinate amount of time trying to target support when a child's needs are unidentified and unclear. This case study looks at the current pathway to support for children with neurodiversities in UK mainstream schools, considering in detail the role of the professionals around the child, in particular the SENCo. In this case study, three children are discussed; in these cases, an additional layer of assessment was included in the referral system, using Frith's causal modelling. This resulted in a more accurate and timely diagnosis of neurodiversities, whether singular or co-occurring, in each case. The additional assessment level was undertaken by a developmental psychologist (DP) who acted as a catalyst for the assessment process and an advisor to target intervention. Following a holistic assessment by the DP, one child was diagnosed with autism on the NHS within three months of the assessment, one child was diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder on the NHS within six months of the assessment, and one child had a dual diagnosis of dyslexia and dyspraxia. Moreover, importantly, only one child's outcomes matched the SENCo's initial diagnostic hypothesis. Two possible, and probably controversial, assessment models are proposed, that take the guesswork out of the referral process for the SENCo, saving time and money across all sectors, while considering a child's needs holistically and wholly.