Explainer
What is SEND and what do you need to know about it?
Children with special educational needs can cover a broad spectrum of conditions and disabilities.
Those needs vary between child and the support they need will be different for each, for example some will need help with a number of things, whereas others will need assistance with just one.
Special educational needs cover both learning difficulties and learning disabilities.
A learning disability affects someone’s intellect generally across all areas of their life.
A learning difficulty does not affect someone’s intellect. Instead, it means that someone finds it more difficult to learn a specific thing, such as reading, writing or maths.
Here ITV News breaks down what it means, the definitions used, the help available, and the acronyms, terminology and language used during and following a diagnosis.
What are special educational needs?
Special educational needs (SEN) is a legal term referring to children and young people who have learning difficulties or disabilities making it harder for them to learn than most children of the same age.
Those with SEN can have a learning difficulty, but it does not necessarily mean that child has a disability.
For example SEN can include speech, language, and communication needs, behavioural, emotional, and social difficulties, and specific learning difficulties like dyslexia or ADHD.
Those who fall into the category of having special educational needs or disability (SEND) are entitled to support and help from their local council and authorities.
Learning difficulties v learning disabilities
A learning disability is often confused with learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia.
Some people also confuse neurodevelopment and neurological conditions like ADHD with a learning disability, but they are not the same.
The charity Mencap describes dyslexia as a “learning difficulty” because, unlike learning disability, it does not affect intellect.
Someone may have just one learning difficulty, or could have multiple. Those with learning difficulties may need a lot of help, or very little.
Mencap defines a learning disability as a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities - for example household tasks, socialising or managing money - which affects someone for their whole life.
How do I know if my child has special educational needs?
If a child has a learning difficulty or disability which means they need special educational provisions to be made for them, then they are classified as having SEND.
They may need extra support if they:
find it harder to learn than other children their age;
have a condition which means their school or setting is not accessible to them;
struggle with social, emotional or mental health difficulties;
have sensory or physical needs;
have speech, language or communication needs, including autism.
What does learning difficulties include?
Those who are neurodivergent can have learning difficulties. Conditions include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia.
It is often known as a hidden disability because the condition is not immediately obvious to others, or even to the person themselves.
How do I get a learning difficulty diagnosis?
The signs of a learning difficulty often start when you are a child. If someone has a learning difficulty they might find it difficult to learn in a classroom with lots of other children.
Your GP can often diagnosis the conditions, although the process can be lengthy and often frustrating.
Schools must contact you if they think your child has any special educational needs - they do not need a medical diagnosis first.
If you think your child may have special educational needs, contact the SEN co-ordinator, or SENCO in your child’s school or nursery.
For conditions such as ADHD or autism a GP will contact a specialist for diagnosis.
You can find out more about diagnosing learning disability from Mencap.
What can be done if my child does have special educational needs?
By law, every school and nursery must provide support for pupils with SEND. This includes state schools, academies and free schools.
There is a special SEND code of practice laid out by the government.
Contact your local council if your child is not in a school or nursery.
Your local Information, Advice and Support (IAS) Service can give you advice about SEND.
What support am I entitled to if my child has SEN?
The level of support someone needs depends on the individual.
Someone with a mild learning disability may only need support with things like getting a job.
However, someone with a severe or profound learning disability may need full time care and support with every aspect of their life - they may also have physical disabilities.
Your child may be eligible for:
SEN support - for example support given in school such as speech therapy
An education, health and care (EHC) plan - a plan of care for children and young people aged up to 25 who have more complex needs
If your child's needs are not being met in a mainstream school, you may be able to apply for a specialist school.
What helplines and websites are available for more information?
A number of terms and acronyms are used by those who work in, or are part of the Special Educational Needs world. Here are definitions of just some of the most frequent used:
EHCP: Education, Health and Care Plan - the legally binding document agreed by parents, schools and councils which entitles a child or young person to extra support;
CAMHS: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service - the support service for children dealing with mental health issues. Children and young people with SEND often have complex diagnoses and can experience mental health issues;
SENCO: The special educational needs coordinator - the person in an education setting who coordinates the care and support a child gets - the advocate for the child;
SALT: Speech and language therapist - many children with SEND have issues with speech, and need the input of a professional to encourage communication;
ASD: Autism Spectrum Disorder - the medical terminology for the condition which affects 1 in 100 people.
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