Disability: Children

(asked on 18th March 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the recommendations made by the Disabled Children Partnership in their report, The Longest Lockdown, published February 2021, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of developing a catch-up plan for disabled children to address where children have regressed or plateaued in their speech, communication, physical development, or social skills.


Answered by
Helen Whately Portrait
Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 25th March 2021

No specific assessment has been made. However, identifying and addressing the needs of disabled people, including disabled children, is a key part of the Government’s recovery planning. We will publish a National Strategy for Disabled People later this spring, taking into account the impacts of the pandemic on disabled people, including disabled children.

National Health Service recovery guidance makes clear that community services must be prioritised for children and young people aged up to 25 years old with special educational needs and disabilities and who have an Education Health and Care Plan in place or who are going through an assessment for one.

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