Special Education in Northern Ireland

Step-by-step guides and toolkits for families of children with disabilities in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.

Northern Ireland Guides

Advocacy Playbooks

Complete guide to NI SEN advocacy and SENDIST NI appeals: understanding EA duties at each stage, evidence gathering checklists, dispute letters, appeal procedures, SENDIST hearing preparation, and post-hearing enforcement

IEP & 504 Blueprints

Complete guide to Northern Ireland's SEN Statement process: the 5-stage assessment pathway, transition planning (post-16), what specific and measurable provision looks like, meeting checklists, Statement review guidance, and annual review preparation

United Kingdom-Wide Guides

These apply to all families of children with disabilities in United Kingdom:

United Kingdom Preparing for Adulthood Roadmap

Complete guide covering the four Preparing for Adulthood outcomes (health, independence, employment, community inclusion), EHCP transition planning, post-16 education and training options, benefits planning, and year-by-year planning checklists

United Kingdom SEN Parent Rights Compass

Complete guide to SEN parent rights in the UK covering the SEN Code of Practice, Education Act, SEN support vs. Education, Health and Care Plans, assessment rights, tribunal appeals, and advocacy pathways

United Kingdom SEN Assessment Decoder

Complete guide to SEN assessment in the UK covering the statutory assessment process, EHCP needs assessment, person-centred planning, appeal and tribunal rights, and assessment request letter templates

For All Families

These guides work no matter where you live:

Autism IEP & Accommodation Toolkit

Complete toolkit with sensory accommodation banks, communication goal examples, social skills and executive function IEP objectives by autism level, meeting advocacy scripts for common school pushback ('too high-functioning for support'), and dispute templates for denied accommodations.

ADHD Advocacy & Accommodation Playbook

Complete playbook with accommodation menus by ADHD subtype, IEP goal banks for executive function and attention, 504 Plan vs IEP decision tree, meeting advocacy scripts for common school dismissal ('he doesn't have ADHD, he's just not trying'), and dispute templates for denied accommodations or failed evaluations.

Behavior Support & FBA/BIP Toolkit

Complete toolkit with parent-friendly FBA evaluation checklist, how to read and critique a BIP for function alignment, manifestation determination preparation guide, restraint and seclusion documentation templates, discipline rights by jurisdiction, and scripts for shifting school mindset from punishment to understanding function and building support.

Dyslexia Support & Reading Intervention Kit

Complete kit with intervention comparison chart (Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, Barton, Lindamood-Bell with evidence ratings), IEP goals specifying intervention methodology, accommodation banks, scripts for fighting 'not low enough to qualify' dismissal, and templates for building the case that your school's current program is failing your child.

Articles for Northern Ireland