Your journey is not a straight line. And that is okay.
🔧 We are improving how Awareverse is organised. Some pages may have moved. Ask if you cannot find something.
🧬July is Fragile X Awareness Month. Fragile X is the most common inherited cause of learning disability.Fragile X guide →
Need to tell someone something? Worried about a child or adult? 💜 Talk to us 🚨 Crisis help
💜
Needs first. Plain English. Trauma aware.

Support without diagnosis

Support starts from needs and impact right now. Assessment runs in parallel. Diagnosis can help — but it should never be the gate to getting support.

🔵 Important updates — June 2026
  • Right to Choose (NHS ADHD assessment) — significant changes from May 2026. Some GPs are no longer entering new shared care agreements with private providers. Read our updated Right to Choose guide →
  • CAMHS waiting times remain extremely long in most areas — 18 months to 3+ years in some regions. Starting needs-based support now is more important than ever.
  • School duties remain unchanged — schools must support based on need, not diagnosis. The Equality Act 2010 and SEND Code of Practice are clear on this.
Guidance only — Last updated: June 2026
This provides guidance based on established UK legislation and best practice. It is not medical or legal advice. If there are immediate safety concerns, seek urgent help now.

Pick what you need today

School is blocking support
What schools must do without a diagnosis. Meeting scripts. How to get specific dates and named people responsible.
School support →
I need ready-to-send emails
Copy-paste scripts for schools, GPs, and follow-ups. Calm, clear, action-focused.
Get scripts →
I think it might be trauma or neurodivergence
A thinking tool to help you organise patterns. Not diagnostic — helps you choose next steps.
Pathways map →
I want a Right to Choose assessment
What it is, who can use it, how to approach your GP, and what to do if you're blocked.
RTC guide →
⚠️ Right to Choose — changed May 2026
Some GPs are no longer accepting shared care agreements with private ADHD providers. Check the updated guide before approaching your GP.

What the law actually says

"Schools must use their best endeavours to make sure that a child or young person who has SEN gets the support they need — this means doing everything they can to meet children and young people's SEN."
SEND Code of Practice 2015, paragraph 6.2

This duty exists regardless of diagnosis. The legal framework is built on needs and impact, not medical labels. Here is what that means in practice:

Children and Families Act 2014
Schools must identify and address SEN. No diagnosis required. Need is assessed by impact on learning and development.
Equality Act 2010
Schools must make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils — including those whose disability is not yet formally diagnosed.
SEND Code of Practice 2015
"A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision." No diagnosis mentioned.

Support you can ask for right now — without a diagnosis

SEN Support
Assess-plan-do-review cycle with specific support, a named person responsible, and clear review dates. Ask for this in writing.
Reasonable adjustments
Preferred seating, visual timetables, movement breaks, task chunking, written instructions, reduced sensory load.
Pastoral support
Safe person, calm space, predictable routines, advance notice of changes, a place to go when overwhelmed.
Attendance support
Phased reintegration with clear steps — not attendance fines while unmet needs are the cause.
Behaviour support
Identify triggers, teach regulation skills, adjust the environment. Behaviour is communication — not a choice to punish.
EHCP assessment
If needs are significant and SEN Support isn't enough, request a statutory EHC needs assessment. No diagnosis needed. EHCP guide →
Homework and exams
Access arrangements — extra time, a reader, a scribe, a separate room — can be put in place without a formal diagnosis if needs are evidenced.
Communication support
If your child struggles to process verbal instructions, written alternatives, visual aids, and pre-teaching are all reasonable adjustments schools can make.
Mental health support
Schools must have a mental health lead. Ask what pastoral and therapeutic support is available and who is responsible for your child's wellbeing.

The one line that stops delays

"Please put support in place based on my child's needs now, and review it regularly. Assessment can run alongside."

Use this when they say "we need a diagnosis first" or "let's wait and see". It brings the conversation back to needs, impact, and review dates — which is exactly where the law says it should be.

🔵 If they still refuse after you've used this
  • Ask them to confirm in writing that they are refusing to put any support in place
  • Ask them to explain in writing which specific legal duty they believe does not apply
  • Most schools will not put an unlawful refusal in writing — asking this question often changes things
  • If they do write to refuse, contact SENDIASS or IPSEA immediately

What to document — starting today

Good documentation becomes powerful evidence. Start now, even if you don't know where things are heading.

Incident log
For every significant incident at home or school, record:
  • Date and time
  • What happened — exactly
  • What triggered it (if known)
  • Duration and recovery time
  • Impact on child and family
  • Who was present
Communication log
Keep copies of everything:
  • All emails to and from school
  • Notes from any meetings (who was there, what was said, what was agreed)
  • Letters from the LA
  • Any verbal conversations — follow up with an email summarising what was discussed
The follow-up email rule
After every meeting or phone call, send a follow-up email the same day: "Thank you for our conversation today. My understanding of what was agreed is: [summary]. Please let me know if I have misunderstood anything." This creates a paper trail and makes verbal promises harder to walk back.

Right to Choose — what's changed in 2026

⚠️ Important — Right to Choose has changed significantly from May 2026
NHS England updated guidance in May 2026 means some GPs are no longer entering into new shared care agreements with private ADHD providers. This affects some Right to Choose pathways. The right itself remains in law, but how it works in practice varies significantly by GP and area.

Right to Choose allows patients to choose where they receive NHS assessment and treatment — including from certain private providers who hold NHS contracts. For ADHD assessment this has been a vital route for many families facing extremely long NHS waiting times.

What Right to Choose still means
  • You can still request assessment at an alternative NHS provider
  • Some private providers still hold NHS contracts and accept Right to Choose referrals
  • Your GP cannot simply refuse to refer — they must have a clinical reason
  • You can still ask for a second opinion if your GP declines
What has changed
  • Some GPs are declining to enter new shared care agreements for ADHD medication prescribed by private providers
  • Without a shared care agreement, medication management returns to the private provider — which may mean ongoing costs
  • This varies hugely by GP practice and area
  • The position is evolving — check current guidance before proceeding
Read our full updated Right to Choose guide →