Children and young people should be at the heart of any decision made about their education and support. Good planning and support starts with understanding what your child is good at, what’s hard for them and what their goals and dreams are.
Helping your child to tell you how they feel is vital for making sure they get support that works for them. If the needs identified, the targets set or the support given don’t help them to achieve their goals, then they’re less likely to work.
When your child is very young, as their parent or carer you’ll know what they need and the kind of help that would best support them. You can be their advocate and speak on their behalf. As your child gets older and has clear views of their own, it’s important to encourage them to be ambitious and support them to share in the decisions made about their support. Sharing their views is a great way to help children learn to speak up for themselves as adults.
There are lots of ways to help your child to talk about what life is like for them and what they would like to achieve and change. Devon Information Advice and Support (DiAS) has lots of useful suggestions and resources on their website to help with what you need to find out, how to go about it and how to record and share it.