Your child's school support team (orientador, PT, AL and tutor)

Terms used

• Orientador — The orientador is a psychologist or pedagogue who assesses children's support needs and advises teachers and families.
• PT — The PT is a specialist teacher in therapeutic pedagogy who gives extra help to pupils with learning or developmental needs.
• AL — The AL is a specialist teacher in hearing and language who works on speech, language and communication difficulties.
• ATE — The ATE is a non-teaching aide who helps pupils with personal care, mobility, supervision and communication.
• Evaluación psicopedagógica — The evaluación psicopedagógica is the orientador's assessment of a child's learning and support needs.
• Dictamen de escolarización — The dictamen de escolarización is a report proposing the type of schooling for a child: ordinary, with support, or special education.
• Jefatura de estudios — The jefatura de estudios is the school's head of studies, who manages teaching and sits above tutors and the orientador.
• Instancia — An instancia is a formal written request to the school or an office, which gives you a record.

Key rules

• First contact: Start with your child's tutor for almost any problem, and ask for a meeting in writing.
• Assessments: The orientador assesses support needs, and their report is the basis for the support your child receives.
• Aides: ATE and similar aides help with personal care and supervision, but they do not teach or assess.
• Escalation: If the tutor and orientador do not resolve it, go to the head of studies, then the director, then the Inspección educativa.

Start with the tutor

Every class group has a tutor, a teacher who coordinates everyone teaching your child. For almost any problem, the tutor is your first contact. Daily difficulties, behaviour, homework that needs adapting: raise it with the tutor first.

The tutor is your main link with the school. They hold family meetings, tell you how your child is doing and take your concerns. They also take part in your child's evaluation and the support plan, and they work with the orientador, PT, AL and the head of studies. Regional rules usually set a weekly slot for family meetings, often one hour. Ask for a meeting by email or in writing, so there is a record.

Who else is on the team

Orientador. This is a psychologist or pedagogue. They carry out the evaluación psicopedagógica, the assessment of a child who may have specific support needs, and write the report that follows from it. That report is the basis for the support and resources your child gets. In some regions the orientador also issues the dictamen de escolarización, which proposes the type of schooling: ordinary, with support, or special education. They advise teachers and the management on adapting the curriculum and on the support plan, and they advise families.

In primary, the orientador is usually part of an outside team that visits several schools, so they are not there every day. In secondary, they work inside the school in its orientation department.

PT (Pedagogía Terapéutica). A specialist teacher for children with needs such as intellectual disability, autism, learning difficulties, sensory or motor disability and, in some cases, ADHD. The PT works with your child alone or in a small group, in or outside the classroom. They focus on reading, writing, maths, attention and autonomy. They also help the tutor and subject teachers prepare and apply adaptations. Support is meant to happen inside the classroom where possible.

AL (Audición y Lenguaje). A speech-and-language specialist teacher. They work on spoken and written language and communication problems, and on alternative ways to communicate. Typical cases are language disorders, severe pronunciation problems, stuttering, hearing loss, and autism or other conditions with communication needs. Support is usually individual or in small groups. Mild cases are often not covered, because priority goes to children with an assessed need. Secondary schools often have few AL staff.

ATE and similar aides. The ATE (auxiliar técnico educativo) is a non-teaching aide. Titles such as PTIS, educador/a de educación especial or cuidador mean much the same thing. They help children with significant needs with personal care, mobility, eating, supervision in the playground, canteen and transport, and with communication and behaviour alongside teachers. They do not teach the curriculum, replace the teacher or assess your child. Their time is usually shared among several pupils, so ask how many hours your child gets.

Whom to approach for which problem

• Daily classroom problem: the tutor.
• Evaluation, support plan or support hours: the orientador, ideally through the tutor.
• Speech, language or learning support: ask the tutor or orientador about AL or PT time. You do not usually ask the PT or AL directly for an assessment.
• Personal care or supervision: the tutor, and ask about the aide's hours.
• Still not resolved: the jefatura de estudios (the head of studies), then the director. Make your request in writing (an instancia) so you have a record.
• School does not fix it: the Inspección educativa of your regional education department. The parents' association (AMPA) and the regional ombudsman are further options.

The decision and checklist below take you through this step by step.

Names change by region

The roles are the same across Spain, but the names and staffing differ. In Madrid, primary schools are served by EOEP teams. In Cataluña the teams are called EAP, and aides are called vetlladors. In Andalucía they are EOE teams in primary, with PTIS aides. In the Comunitat Valenciana they are SPE services. Ask the school what each person is called in your region, and check details with your regional education department.

Choosing between options

Whom should you approach first about your child's support?

• The class tutor: Daily difficulties, behaviour or homework adaptations in the classroom.

• The orientador: Questions about the evaluation, the support plan or support hours, or when the tutor has not resolved the problem.

• The AL teacher, through the tutor or orientador: Your child has a language or communication difficulty, such as stuttering, hearing loss or a language disorder, and has an assessed need.

• The PT teacher, through the tutor or orientador: Your child needs help with reading, writing, maths, attention or autonomy because of an identified support need.

• The jefatura de estudios, then the director: The orientador has not resolved a plan or hours problem.

Start with the tutor for classroom problems and with the orientador for evaluation, plan or hours problems. If the school does not resolve it, go to the Inspección educativa.

Checklist

• Ask the tutor which support staff work with your child: orientador, PT (specialist support teacher), AL (speech and language teacher) and any ATE or PTIS aide.

• Ask what each of them is called in your region, since names such as EOEP, EAP, EOE or SPE vary.

• Start with the tutor for a daily classroom problem, using a written request or email and asking for a meeting.

• Go to the orientador if the problem is about the evaluation, the support plan or support hours.

• Escalate to the jefatura de estudios (the school's head of studies) and then the director if the orientador does not resolve it.

• Send a written request (instancia) to the school so you have a record.

• Contact the Inspección educativa of your regional education department if the school does not resolve the issue.

• Ask whether any ATE or PTIS aide's time is shared with other pupils, and what help they give your child.

Role titles and office names differ by region, so check them with the school or regional education department.

Frequently asked questions

Does the orientador work at my child's primary school every day?

Usually not in primary: the orientador there normally belongs to an external team (called EOEP, EAP or EOE, depending on the region) that visits several schools. In secondary, the orientador works inside the school's own Departamento de Orientación. Ask the tutor which days the orientador is at the school.

Can my child get PT or AL support if the difficulty is mild?

Not always, because priority goes to pupils with an assessed need. Mild speech cases are often not covered by AL, and which pupils get PT time depends on the region's criteria and the school's resources. Ask the orientador whether an assessment would be worth requesting.

Can the ATE or PTIS teach my child or assess their needs?

No, ATE and PTIS staff do not teach the curriculum, replace the teacher or carry out educational assessments. They help with personal autonomy, mobility, toileting, feeding and supervision in the playground, canteen and transport.

How do I meet my child's tutor about a problem?

Ask for a meeting by email or in writing, so there is a record. Regional rules usually set a weekly slot for family meetings, often one hour. If the problem is not resolved, go to the orientador next.