Professor Sue Buckley:

I will try to deal with some of those matters. The IQ issue needs to be put into context, irrespective of what we do about assessments. IQ is not helpful as a total predictor of children's progress.

It cannot be used on its own. It is not that it does not have some valuable information, but it should not be seen as the only thing. One would rarely see IQ tests in the UK but one would see them in the US. Everywhere is still different. Children in this very low incidence group - less than 0.2% - would get statements in our system which would focus on describing their education. It would be very unusual for the statement for starting school to be done before they were four. It is then reviewed every year, which is the issue about assessment. An IEP is set for the child, which is the practical programme in the classroom and has practical targets, but there is a review meeting every year so there is ongoing assessment and refining. If at a review meeting, people felt that the support for this child was not adequate, they would go back and ask for the statement to be reviewed. That could be done at any time.