Rather than being a stigma, being on the special needs register puts children on the fast-track to the support they need. Education expert, Elizabeth Cook, offers reassurance.

Raisingkids member's problem
We have a 3-yrs-and-4-months-old son who is only just beginning to talk, although he is picking up quite rapidly now. In every other way, he appears both bright and sociable - he communicates excellently non-verbally, and always has.

He has been diagnosed as being about 12-18 months 'behind' - he could not crawl until he was 15-months old. We believe the reason for his delay is that for the first 15 months of his life he was constantly ill with chronic mineral deficiency, colic, and a violent reaction to innoculations. At 9 months he was beginning to say a few words, he then had his last set of innoculations, screamed for 2 weeks, and never spoke again for a year.

At 15 months we took him to a homeopath and allergy specialist, and he was better within days. The specialists we have contacted say that he will certainly be a special needs child. We have our doubts as he is forging ahead now, having started attending nursery school 3 months ago, and having gained a little brother 5 months ago. We obviously want him to have every opportunity to catch up - and therefore every support available - but we do not want him labelled a 'special needs child' unless he really is. Do you have any thoughts?

Elizabeth's advice
What a difficult time your little boy has had. Now he seems to be making up for lost time, which must be a relief to you. It's a well-known fact that illnesses do impede all areas of development and it is encouraging that his development has speeded up. However, the more help he can receive to support his needs the better.

As he is already in nursery, if there are any concerns about his development they should pick them up and if they feel that he needs more specialist help then they will recommend him for an assessment. Should the assessment confirm that he is developmentally delayed then money will be provided by the Local Education Authority to provide extra support. Your son will also have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which will target his specific needs and he will be regularly monitored to ensure that his needs are being addressed.

As he has already made significant movements in his development it is likely that with support he may catch up with other children before he officially starts school. Special need support is kept under regular review and children are taken off the register as soon as they are able to function without support. 20% of children within schools are now identified as having special needs - this can range from mild learning disabilities to severe difficulties - and no stigma is attached to these children. Many are only on the Special Needs register for a short time.

It might also be worth mentioning that the capacity for learning is at its greatest between the ages of 0-6 years - so the sooner you can get support, the more your son might benefit.

• More Of Liz's Answers About Under-11s
• Ask Our Experts: 'Stage 1' For Special Needs
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