5th June 2026 • My Family Our Needs

Findings from the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) reveals delays accessing SEND support in school is harming children.

The findings are a part of its Right Support, Right Time campaign and in response to the school’s White Paper consultation.

The RCOT argued that fewer children would be absent from school if the UK government’s proposals for ‘Experts at Hand’ in schools are introduced swiftly and in the right way.

Currently delays in accessing occupational therapy and other specialist support in schools are causing emotional distress, reduced participation and delayed development.

The RCOT carried out a survey of its members who work with children, the results of which lay bare the impact of a lack of support in mainstream schools for children with SEND.

The survey found that the top five areas most impacted by delays in accessing occupational therapy for children and young people attending mainstream schools are:

• Emotional distress/anxiety for the young person (90%).
• Reduced participation in learning activities (89%).
• Emotional distress/anxiety for parents/caregivers (88%).
• Delayed development of essential skills such as handwriting and self-care (87%).
• Increased pressure on teachers and other school staff (81%).

According to Government data, the overall absence rate for children with SEND in England was 13.7%, compared to 6.9% for all children in the 2024/25 academic year.

If inclusive practices in mainstream schools, driven by occupational therapists, were to increase this gap could be reduced, said the RCOT.

Members suggested that the top five benefits and improvements of SEND students getting the right support from occupational therapists at the right time are:

• Classroom participation (92%).
• Ability of caregivers/parents to support their child’s needs (90%).
• Behaviour and emotional regulation (86%).
• Capacity of school staff to support children and young people (85%).
• Mental health and wellbeing, for example, improvements in confidence and self-esteem (83%).

More than half (56%) of respondents to the RCOT’s survey said that they are unable to provide the level or type of support children in their area need and only around two in five (39%) said their occupation therapy teams are fully staffed.

A lack of capacity across services is having wide-ranging consequences for children’s wellbeing, learning and long-term prospects.

In the UK, there are an estimated 3,000-4,000 occupational therapists who work with children, not all of them in schools. However, there are over 24,000 schools in the UK.

The gap in these numbers showed a need for an increase in the number of occupational therapists and a shift in resources to ensure every school in the UK has access to the support its pupils need.

Dr Sally Payne, Professional Advisor for Children and Young People at RCOT, said, ‘All children have a right to education and are more likely to succeed when they get the right support.

‘Our survey shows just how damaging delays in occupational therapy are for children and young people.

Children are being left to struggle without support that could transform their school experience. They’re becoming distressed, disengaged from learning and are being held back in their development while they wait.

‘We know that getting support as early as possible is best, but most respondents told us they cannot see children quickly enough or provide the level of help needed.

‘The schools White Paper has been an excellent opportunity to recognise the importance of having occupational therapists in schools and across neighbourhood teams so children can get the right support at the right time. Now we need to turn those ambitions into a reality.’

The RCOT has called for every mainstream school across the UK to have access to occupational therapy expertise and to take a whole-school approach to providing support.

Occupational therapists need to be involved in the training of teachers, teaching assistants and others who work with children, to help them better understand and support all areas of children’s development.

The RCOT argued that the ‘Experts at Hand’ model has the potential to help achieve that.

However, investment in the occupational therapy workforce is also essential to achieve this, as well as integrated commissioning of children’s occupational therapy services by local authorities and Integrated Care Boards.

The RCOT said that integration across education, health and care need to improve to ensure children and young people get the seamless support they need to learn and thrive at school.

More information about the Right Support, Right Time campaign is available on the RCOT website.

In other news, The BBC shared content for children and young people across their BBC Education channels during May spotlighting young carers for ‘Caring Matters’ week.