ABSTRACT
The original Code suggested a staged approach in identifying, assessing and providing for children’s special educational needs. Five stages were suggested, with Stage 1 being the earliest and Stage 5 representing the point at which special educational needs become the subject of statutory assessment. A number of elements were deemed necessary at each stage. However, the staged approach advocated in the original Code has now been abandoned because of the implication that various stages have to be reached or that hurdles have to be crossed before more intensive help can become available. The revised Code addresses this issue by putting the emphasis where it was always intended to be: that is, at the school level.
