Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Explained
Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Explained
Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is a term which is often misunderstood, so here at Senploy, we thought we would take this opportunity to break it down and explain a little more about this concept.
Definition from the Department of Education’s SEND Code of Practice :
- A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him/her; or
- they have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or
- they have a disability which prevents or hinders him/her from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools/post-16 institutions.
The 4 broad areas that schools should focus on are:
1. Communication and interaction
2. Cognition and learning
3. Social, emotional and mental health difficulties
4. Physical and/or sensory needs
Often children and young people with SEN are diagnosed with conditions that have a significant impact on their development. In particular, this will affect their progress socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically. But no two children are the same, and they will each experience their condition differently.
The areas that children will experience difficulties include:
· Building and maintaining friendships
· Learning to read and write
· Processing complex information
· Maintaining sustained concentration on their studies
· Planning, timekeeping, problem solving and completing tasks
· Communicating with and understanding other people
· Behaving appropriately in class
- Sensory issues
Do children and young people with Special Educational Needs always have a Disability?
This is another area that can lead to confusion, perhaps because SEN is a broad term and encompasses a wide range of conditions. The answer is that some children and young people with SEN also have a disability, but that is not always the case. Equally, children and young people who are disabled will not always have special educational needs.
Types of SEN include:
- Moderate learning difficulties
- Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC)
· Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity Disorder (and inattentive type), Dyslexia
- Speech, Language and Communication difficulties
- Social, Emotional and Behavioural difficulties
- Multi-sensory impairment
What does ‘Disability’ mean?
This term is used when a child or young person has impairments – either physical or mental – that substantially affect their daily lives and their ability to cope with everyday tasks; or the effect of the impairment is long-term.
Some children and young people require more specialist intervention as a result of their complex needs. This includes additional support with educational, emotional, social, behavioural, health, physical and intellectual development.
The Types of Disabilities include:
- Vision or hearing impairment, deaf-blindness
- Autistic spectrum condition
- Physical disabilities
· Long-term learning difficulty e.g. global developmental delay
- Chronic illness
- Severe communication disorder
- Complex health needs
How does a ‘Learning Disability’ differ from a ‘Learning Difficulty’?
The principal difference between a learning disability and a learning difficulty is the impact they have on the individual. A learning difficulty does not affect a person’s intellectual development, though children may benefit from alternative learning approaches and strategies to ensure they achieve their potential. It is important that children with a learning difficulty are treated as individuals, with support tailored to their specific needs, as they will all be affected differently by their condition. Conversely, a learning disability has a significant impact on an individual’s ability to learn, and also on their intellectual development. These deficits are global, affecting all aspects of the person’s life, and are onset in childhood.
What is SEND support?
If a child or young person has a learning disability or learning difficulties, it is highly likely that they will require additional support, both inside and outside of the classroom. Moreover, any child who appears to have additional or special educational needs, even though they have not received a formal diagnosis, has the right to expect support within a school setting. Though they may not have an Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP), the school’s SENCO will still be required to liaise with their parents and create a plan to support that child to achieve their potential.
Article 2 of Protocol 1 of the Human Rights Act is the right to an education and to be listened to. The government has a statutory requirement to ensure that this article is implemented – schools must do everything in their power to ensure that children and young people are given the best possible education, taking into consideration several factors including each individual’s abilities. It also states that children and young people with SEND have the right to lead a full and decent life.
The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 prohibited schools from discriminating against children with disabilities, requiring them to provide the appropriate support to meet their educational needs.
It is clear from the legislation that consistency of care and support within SEN is paramount. This requires excellent communication and regular interaction between schools, parents, students, teachers and local authorities. The first part of the process is the identification of needs assessments which then result in an EHC plan. Every plan will have 12 sections and the local authority will determine how these sections are ordered. See example below.
A. The views, interests and aspirations of the parent and child/young person.
B. The child/young person’s special educational needs
C. Health needs related to their SEN or to a disability
D. Social care needs related to their SEN or to a disability
E. Planned outcomes for the child/young person
F. Special educational provision.
G. Health provision required that is related to their SEN or to a disability
H. Any social care provision that must be made for your child or young person under 18.
I. Other social care provision required that is related to their SEN or to a disability
J. Name and type of the school, maintained nursery school, post-16 institution or other institution to be attended.
K. Personal budget arrangements
L. Advice and information gathered during the EHC needs assessment
Reasons to work in the SEND industry
We are under no illusion that working with children and young people with SEND can be challenging at times, but helping a young person to thrive is a really rewarding experience. The type of qualities that schools seek in their staff include: patience, caring, kindness, adaptability, a good sense of humour, and individuals who can make a really positive impact on children’s lives. You will be required to advocate for the child from time to time and you should therefore believe in the importance that SEND children have the right to expect the same opportunities as other children.
The knowledge required to support SEND children may seem quite daunting. But with ongoing support and training from your employer, and with an interest in and desire for continuous self-development, you will acquire the skills and abilities you need to provide the effective support that SEND children require. The rewards you will enjoy include:
· Making a positive difference to a child’s future opportunities
· Improving a child’s self-esteem by providing the tools to learn and succeed in whatever way success presents itself to them
· The acquisition of skills like signing or medical knowledge which comes with understanding the broad range of complexities within SEND
· Teamwork and interaction with a variety of stakeholders
· Ultimately through your skills and knowledge, the realisation that you have enabled a child to focus on and show what they can do, rather than what they can’t.
Further information:
Child Law Advice https://childlawadvice.org.uk/information-pages/special-educational-needs/
TES - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/hub/whole-school/special-educational-needs
Disability Matters (free online training course) https://www.disabilitymatters.org.uk
Updated: Feb 2024