I suspect my daughter has dyxlexia as she is 8 and finding reading hard. Can she get extra support at school?
A: SenseCheck
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- 13 Aug 2025
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Yes
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Simple
Summary in simple English
If your daughter is struggling with reading and you think she may have dyslexia, her school has a legal duty to give her extra help if she needs it to learn. This is called “special educational provision”. She does not need to wait for a formal dyslexia diagnosis before this help can start. Support might include one-to-one or small group teaching, using different learning materials, or giving her more time. If the school cannot meet her needs from their usual resources, you can ask the local authority to carry out an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment, which can lead to an EHC plan setting out her support.Draft technical answer
Under section 20 of the Children and Families Act 2014 a child is deemed to have special educational needs (SEN) if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. A learning difficulty includes having significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age. Difficulties with reading of the kind you describe may well meet this threshold.The school’s duties are set out in Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years (“SEND Code”). Paragraphs 6.15 to 6.20 of the SEND Code confirm that identification of SEN should not be delayed pending any diagnostic label such as dyslexia. Schools must use their best endeavours to secure special educational provision that meets the needs of pupils with SEN (section 66 Children and Families Act 2014). This could include targeted literacy interventions, differentiated materials, additional teaching support, or assistive technology.
If the school’s best endeavours cannot meet your daughter’s needs from the resources normally available, you may request an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment under section 36 of the 2014 Act. The local authority must consider whether she has or may have SEN and whether it may be necessary for special educational provision to be made in accordance with an EHC plan.
It is important to keep records of her difficulties and the support already tried by the school, as well as any progress made, to inform any assessment.
Answers from the No-nonsense Guides
No-nonsense Guide to SEN law – Q15 > Do I need to have a diagnosis before my child can get SEN support?
No. Schools must identify and provide for a child’s SEN whether or not there is a formal diagnosis. The key issue is whether the child has significantly greater difficulty in learning than their peers or a disability that makes it harder for them to use school facilities.Relevant Statutes, Regulations, Codes and Case Law
Children and Families Act 2014, s.20 – Definition of special educational needs.
Children and Families Act 2014, s.66 – Duty of schools to use best endeavours.
SEND Code of Practice 2015, paras. 6.15–6.20 – Early identification without delay for diagnosis.
Children and Families Act 2014, s.36 – Request for EHC needs assessment.
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