“Parliamentary plea from headteacher” (November 17) about declining funding for the education of children with special educational needs (SEN) was very timely, but the situation is even more dire than the article suggests.

There are huge delays, locally but also as a national scandal, in getting the requisite expert assessments to define what a child’s special educational needs are.

Locally, the legal timescale for assessments, set at a year which in my view is in any case damagingly long, is being frequently exceeded because of inadequate

funding which has led to shortage,of the required professionals.

This will not be quick or easy to address.

In many cases, a “cure” is not available, but strategies for parent, school, and child can be devised to mitigate the problems.

The greater the delay, the more firmly entrenched become the problems, their effects, and the habits of behaviour that accompany

them. This has the potential to seriously damage a child’s life chances.

This affects school, parents and home of the child, including siblings. It is an overlooked problem with long-term consequences for everyone concerned, including wider society. It is a serious failure.

BARRY TEMPEST

Romulus Close, Dorchester