How additional support is provided

Deaf children may have additional learning needs (ALN) and need additional learning provision (ALP) (extra support) in early education and school so they can achieve and make good progress in their education.

For most deaf children, their education setting will be able to provide this support, but some may need a formal plan which legally sets out what support they need and how this will be provided. 

The type of support available for your deaf child will depend on:  

• the type of education setting they’re attending or are planning to attend (for example, a mainstream school vs a special school)  
• their support needs in education.

Individual Development Plan (IDP) 

Children with ALN can get ALP with a support plan known as an Individual Development Plan (IDP). An IDP is a legal document which describes your child’s ALN, the support they need, and the outcomes they would like to achieve. Any support written into your child’s IDP must be provided by law. IDPs are for children aged 0-16 with ALN, as well as young people aged 16-25 who attend sixth form or college and have ALN.

You or a professional working with your child can make a request for an IDP to your local authority. 

IDPs are available to learners with all levels of ALN, not just those with a high level of support need. However, not every child with ALN will meet the criteria for needing an IDP. For example, if the local authority assesses that your child’s needs can be met by the resources available to their education setting, they may decide an IDP is not necessary.

Support in an IDP

A child's IDP will be unique to them as it’s based on their individual needs. The type of support outlined in an IDP can be very wide ranging. Some of the types of support in an IDP can include: 

• support from a professional, such as a Teacher of the Deaf (ToD), speech and language therapist or a communication support worker 
• targeted deaf awareness training for those working with your child 
• equipment such as a radio aid 
• communication or signing support for your family 
• a place at a school or college with specialist support for deaf learners. 

For further information, see:

• our guide for parents on ALN and IDPs 
• IDPs explained (SNAP Cymru).

Annual reviews of IDPs 

If your child is given an IDP, you’ll be invited by your child's Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator (ALNCO) or Early Years Additional Learning Needs Lead Officer (EYALNLO) to attend a review meeting each year.

This is to make sure that your child’s plan is still providing the right support for their learning. You can ask for an earlier review if there’s a good reason for it, including if you feel that your child’s needs are not being met by their IDP.

ALN and No IDP notices

An ALN notice states that the school or local authority has not yet decided whether or not a child will have an IDP under the new system.

A No IDP notice states that the school or local authority has decided not to give the child an IDP support plan.

If you're unhappy with the notice that your child has received, you can challenge it in the same way as you can challenge any decision in the IDP process.

If you're unhappy with your child's IDP

Families have the right to challenge decisions concerning their child’s IDP at every stage. This includes decisions around whether or not to provide, continue or change an IDP, as well as the support detailed in the IDP.

If you’re unhappy with any aspect of your child’s IDP, first talk to your Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator (ALNCO) or Early Years Additional Learning Needs Lead Officer (EYALNLO) about your concerns. If this doesn’t help to resolve your concerns, you can ask to use Dispute Resolution if you like. This is a service run by every council which seeks to provide space to talk through IDP disagreements. You also have the right to take an appeal to the Education Tribunal.

You should be aware, however, that you need to raise your concerns about an IDP within set timeframes.

Support in early education

Once your child has been identified with hearing loss or as deaf, you can contact your local authority (council) and ask to speak to the EYALNLO, about your child’s development and learning needs. The EYALNLO is your local authority’s key contact for ALN in Early Years. 

You can get support whether your child is looked after at home, goes to nursery, spends time with a childminder or uses any other kind of early years education or childcare.  

Professionals working with your child might talk to you about having a support plan. This is an Individual Development Plan (IDP).  

Additional learning provision (ALP)  

Children with ALN will receive ALP (extra support) in early education or childcare.  

If the EYALNLO agrees that your child has ALN and would benefit from ALP (support) they will invite you and the professionals who support your child to a meeting to discuss your child’s needs. You should be included in discussions around your child’s ALN and ALP at every stage. If you need communication support for these discussions (such as a spoken or sign language interpreter), this must be provided.

The professionals who already support you will also be able to help with suggestions and information. This could include:

• Teacher of the Deaf (ToD)
• Audiologist or implant centre
• Ear nose and throat (ENT)
• Speech and Language Therapist (SLT)
• Paediatrician
• Health visitor
• Communication Support Worker (CSW)
• Deaf tutor.

If your child has ALN, their ALP may be laid out in an Individual Development Plan (IDP) (NDCS website).  

Early education IDP

IDPs are for children with ALN and should be available to learners with all levels of ALN, not just those with a high level of support need. The support you and your child need at home and in their first years of education will be individual to you. 

It’s important to think about what support you would like, who could provide it and how. Including support that can be provided by the setting without referral to outside agencies. The professionals who already support you will also be able to help with suggestions and information. Bring this information to your child’s IDP assessment. 

If no one has mentioned an IDP as an option to you, you can request one by contacting your local authority. Download our guide for parents on ALN and IDPs (NDCS website) and template IDP (NDCS website).

IDP assessment 

If the EYALNLO agrees that your child has ALN and would benefit from ALP (extra support), they will invite you and your child, and potentially other professionals such as a ToD or SLT, to a meeting to discuss your child’s support needs. 

This is called an IDP assessment. The local authority will use the information collected in this assessment to decide whether your child needs an IDP. 

Support included in an early years IDP 

Your child's IDP will be unique to them as it’s based on their individual needs. The type of support outlined in an IDP can be very wide ranging. Some of the types of support in an IDP can include: 

• support from a professional, such as a ToD, SLT or a communication support worker (CSW) 
• targeted deaf awareness training for those working with your child
• equipment such as a radio aid
• communication or signing support for your family
• specific playgroups for deaf children
• a place at a primary school with specialist support for deaf learners. 

For more information on the types of information that each section of an IDP may include, see our IDP template (NDCS website).

An IDP should be looked at within a year to see whether your child’s support needs have changed. You should always be involved in these discussions.

Support in school

If your child is already at school and you think they have ALN, talk to the school’s ALNCO. The ALNCO will discuss your child’s needs in more detail, the support available within the school, and how your child can get additional support via and IDP if needed.  

IDP assessment 

If the ALNCO at your child’s school agrees that your child has ALN and would benefit from ALP (extra support), they will invite you and the professionals who support your child to a meeting to discuss your child’s needs. 

This is called an IDP assessment. The assessment will involve consulting a range of professionals including, for example, a ToD, educational psychologist, audiologist and your child’s school teacher. These professionals will meet with your child to carry out an assessment and write a report. You can ask your local authority to consider involving any other relevant professionals. If your child has already undergone any other assessments, you can submit these to be considered as well. Your local authority will use the information collected in this assessment to decide whether your child needs an IDP. 

The local authority will tell you within 16 weeks whether an IDP is going to be made for your child or not.  

If the local authority decides to prepare an IDP for your child, the information gathered at the assessment will be used to draw up the plan, so it’s important that the assessment is as full and thorough as possible.  

Think about what support you would like, who could provide it and how. The professionals who already support you will also be able to help with suggestions and information. Bring this information to your child’s IDP assessment.