ABSTRACT
The 1981 Education Act lays a duty on LEAs to ensure that special educational provision is made for pupils who have special educational needs. The LEA has a duty to perform an assessment on a child to discover these educational needs. Where an assessment has been made, and the child is deemed to have special educational needs, the LEA shall make a statement of these special needs. The LEA must take into consideration any representations and evidence submitted by the child's parent, the advice the LEA has obtained from professional advisers, and any relevant information provided by the District Health Authority (DHA) or Social Services Department. Parents are seen as partners and the process is viewed as a collaborative venture to ensure the best outcome for the child. The issue of parental involvement actually incorporates several different components, each of which is contentious, and the several issues are often confounded.
