4.1.2 The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (as amended) (the ASL Act)

The ASL Act provides a framework for identifying and addressing the additional support needs of children and young people who face a barrier or barriers, to learning. Children and young people have additional support needs when they require additional support in order to benefit from school education. Young people are those over school age but who have not yet attained the age of eighteen.

The ASL Act places duties on education authorities and requires certain other agencies to provide help where this is requested and provides parents and young people with certain rights.

Education authorities are required to identify the additional support needs of each child or young person for whose school education they are responsible. The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 and amendments made in 2009 provide the legal framework for assessment. However, no particular model of assessment or support is prescribed in "the Act".

The 2010 Code of Practice [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] is also important and is designed to help schools, parents and others to understand the Act and ensure its implementation.