Waiting for an assessment while your child struggles now: what to request

Key rules

• No diagnosis needed: The school can give ordinary support without any diagnosis or formal report.
• Put it in writing: A written request gives you a record and makes the school answer.
• Formal report: A formal evaluation is normally needed only for stronger measures, such as major curriculum changes or specialised placement.
• Regional differences: Names and details of these measures vary by region.

You can ask for help now, without a diagnosis

Schools can offer support before any formal report exists. Ordinary support measures do not need a diagnosis or a formal report. The teaching team decides what your child needs based on what they see in class. You can request this support in writing, and you should.

What the school can offer

Ordinary measures include:

• Refuerzo: extra classroom support, often in small groups or at set times in the week.
• Flexible groupings: your child works in changing groups so they get more help in the subjects where they struggle.
• Two teachers in the room: a second teacher supports the class alongside the main one.
• Adapted methods: changes in how work is explained, set or checked. Examples are more time, shorter tasks, a seat near the teacher or instructions given step by step.

The school decides which of these fit your child. Ask for the ones that match the difficulties you and the teacher have seen.

What needs a formal report

A psychopedagogical evaluation and a formal report (the dictamen de escolarización, or your region's equivalent) are normally needed only for stronger measures. These include significant changes to the curriculum or a specialised school place. That is why the evaluation matters, but it is not a condition for the help above.

How to ask, step by step

1. Talk to the class tutor first. Describe what you see at home and ask what they see in class.
2. Put your request in writing. Send a short letter or email to the tutor and the head of studies (jefe de estudios), or hand it in at the school office. Ask for a stamped or dated copy, or keep the sent email.
3. Say what you want. Name the measures you are asking for, such as refuerzo or extra time in exams. Say that you are waiting for an assessment and want support in the meantime.
4. Ask for a reply in writing, with the measures agreed and a date to review them.
5. Follow up. Ask for a meeting after a few weeks to see whether the measures help. Keep every message.

What to include in your request

• Your child's name, year and class.
• The difficulties you have seen, with short examples.
• Any reports or notes you already have, even if they are not a formal diagnosis.
• Confirmation that you have asked for, or are waiting for, an assessment.
• The specific measures you are requesting.

Regional rules

Each region has its own inclusion rules and its own names for these measures. The school will use its regional terms, so ask the school or your regional education department what applies where you live.

If the school delays or refuses to evaluate your child, see the section below.

What if the school delays or refuses to evaluate your child?

If the school stalls or refuses, put your request in writing and escalate step by step: the director, then the area EOEP, then the Inspección educativa. The school has a duty to assess any pupil who may need specific educational support. Staff shortages and "he is just learning Spanish" do not remove that duty.

Start with a written, dated request

Ask for an evaluation (evaluación psicopedagógica) in writing, even if you have already asked in person. Hand it in at the school office and ask for a stamped or dated copy, or send it by email and keep the sent message. The school should process it and reply formally. A dated request also proves how long the school has taken.

What to say to common answers

• The child is just learning Spanish. Language learning can overlap with other needs, but it does not rule them out. Reply in writing that you still want the evaluation, and list what you have seen: difficulties in your home language, trouble with memory, attention or behaviour, or reports from earlier schools.
• The school has no staff or no time. Delays from lack of capacity are common, but they are not a reason to refuse. Ask for a date by which the evaluation will be done.
• The orientation team decides no evaluation is needed. The team can reach that decision after reviewing the evidence, but it should give you its reasons. Ask for them in writing.

Escalate in this order

1. The director. Send a short letter or email that says you asked on a given date, have had no answer or an answer you disagree with, and ask the school to carry out its duty to evaluate. Ask for a reply within a set time, such as 10 days.
2. The area EOEP. This is the local educational guidance team that supports schools. Contact it with a copy of your request and the school's answer, and ask it to step in.
3. The Inspección educativa. This is the regional education inspectorate. File a written complaint that cites the school's duty to evaluate, attach your dated request and any replies, and say how long you have waited.
4. The regional education department. If the inspectorate does not resolve it, you can appeal to the department.

Keep a paper trail

Keep copies of every request, reply, email and report. Note the date and the name of anyone you speak to. Send each step in writing, so the next office can see what has already happened.

Deadlines and the exact appeal route depend on your region, so ask the school or your regional education department which applies to you.