Special Education Assistance for Children
Children who have not yet started school can also receive help with, for example, language or social skills. This is called special education assistance for preschool-aged children.
Description
Are you concerned that your child is not developing as expected? Your child can receive support for their development and learning even before starting school, whether they attend kindergarten or not.
The purpose of special education assistance is to provide early support in development and learning, particularly in areas such as language and social skills.
Special education assistance can be provided individually or in groups. Parental counseling is also part of the service.
Target group
Parents as well as kindergartens or health centers.
Criteria/conditions
Some reasons for concern may include:
- Delayed language development
- Social or emotional difficulties
- Lack of expected motor or cognitive development
Charges/Cost of the service
Brochures, documents, maps, etc.
Cooperating authorities
Acts
This is a legally mandated service. See:
Barnehageloven § 31
Barnehageloven
Forskrift om ansvar for spesialpedagogisk hjelp for barn
Guidelines – applying for, or receiving the service
The municipality must:
- Involve and consult with parents before making decisions regarding the child
- Assess whether the child needs special education assistance
- Request an expert assessment from the Educational and Psychological Counseling Service (PP-tjenesten) if parents, the municipality, or the kindergarten believe the child requires special education assistance
- Issue an official decision stating whether the child will receive special education assistance and what the assistance will include
- Provide the child with special education assistance as described in the official decision
- Ensure that a written report on the child's special education assistance and development is created once a year
As a parent, you can:
- Request that the municipality assess whether your child needs special education assistance
- Be involved and provide consent before the municipality asks PP-tjenesten to evaluate your child
- Be involved and provide consent before the municipality decides that your child will receive special education assistance
- Receive a written report once a year on the assistance provided and an evaluation of the child's development
- Appeal if your child does not receive special education assistance
- Appeal the content, implementation, or organization of the assistance
Administrative procedure
If you, as a parent, are concerned, you can request an expert assessment of your child from the municipality or ask for special education assistance directly.
If someone other than the parents, such as kindergarten staff, reports concerns to the municipality, the municipality must obtain parental consent before referring the child for an expert assessment by PP-tjenesten.
The municipality will then refer the case to PP-tjenesten.
PP-tjenesten will involve the parents and conduct an evaluation, which will conclude with a recommendation.
The municipality will issue an official decision and send it to the parents.
Possibilities to appeal; procedure
Parents have the right to appeal both a denial of assistance and the content of the decision, the case processing, or the failure to implement the decision. Appeals should be sent to the municipality. The County Governor (Statsforvalteren) is the appeal authority.
Tjenesten oppdatert: 27.02.2025 11:41