Assessments by the Physical Disability team

What happens at an assessment

Assessments are informal. Your child will be assessed by one of our teachers called a Specialist Teacher Adviser for Physical Disabilities or STA PD for short. They will observe your child playing or learning to determine their ability to function in the educational setting. They look specifically at:

• mobility
• gross and fine motor skills
• personal care
• self-help skills

Where the assessment take place

The initial assessment will usually take place in the educational setting, at pre-school, school or college. Occasionally we may make a home visit.

After the assessment

When appropriate we write a record of our visit for any observations we make. If an EHCP is being requested and your child meets our criteria for involvement then we will write a report. These reports are shared with parents or carers and the educational setting.

Next steps

After the initial assessment we will determine ways in which we can support your child. If there is a need we may make a referral to the Assistive Technology team. The frequency of our visits and any future assessments will depend on the needs of your child. Most children are seen once or twice a term.

Your assessment may be carried out by our Assistive Technology or Augmentative and Alternative Communication team.