Understanding Special Educational Needs
In this Guide we’ll help you understand SEN, learning difficulties, and the Special Educational Provisions that your child may be entitled to.
What are Special Educational Needs?
Special Educational Needs is a term that’s used to describe learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for a child to learn compared to children of the same age. It’s often abbreviated to SEN or SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities).
It’s a phrase that is defined in law: a child has Special Educational Needs if they have a disability or learning difficulty which make it necessary to introduce Special Educational Provisions (SEP).
Every child faces learning challenges at some point, and most of the time a little support from teachers and parents is all he or she needs. However, children with SEND are likely to need that extra bit of help or a different approach to be able to learn.
Some children have SEND due to a medical condition or disability, while others might experience it without a formal diagnosis or disability.
Learning difficulties
Children with SEND related to thinking and learning often have a learning difficulty. But a learning difficulty is not the same as a learning disability.
Different people and organisations use the phrase ‘learning difficulty’ in different ways. But the most common distinction is that a learning difficulty doesn’t affect your general intelligence. It simply means there are barriers to learning.
Learning difficulties are classified in the following ways:
- Moderate Learning Difficulty (MLD): a child with MLD may take longer to learn skills than the majority of their peers and are likely to require extra support in school.
- Severe Learning Difficulty (SLD): a child with SLD will have significant learning impairments which will impact their ability to learn without high levels of specialist support.
- Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty (PMLD): a child with PMLD will have complex learning needs. In addition to severe learning difficulties they may have physical difficulties, sensory impairment or a severe medical condition. A high level of specialist support will be needed at all times.
- Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD): specific learning difficulties include Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Dyscalculia. A child with SpLD may require some support in school targeted to their specific area of difficulty such as spelling or numeracy.
It’s easy to get confused with all the terminology surrounding SEND. So, if you’re not sure what a phrase means then take a look at our Glossary of SEND terms.
What Is Special Educational Provision?
Children and young people with SEN are entitled to special educational provision in nursery, school, or college.
Special Educational Provision is any education or training which is additional to, or different from, what other children their age need. This covers many different things. For example, it could be sign language, larger-font worksheets, or the extra support of a one-to-one or small group setup.
Not all extra support that is given to a child is classed as Special Educational Provision. Some children may need extra help that doesn’t fall under special educational provision. like taking medication at school. Whilst this is essential, it’s not classed as special educational provision.
Read more in our guide to SEND support in education.
Types of SEN difficulties
Children and young people with SEN may face hurdles in the some or all the following areas:
Cognition and Learning
A child may have difficulty with:
- Reading or spelling
- Understanding instructions, or carrying out tasks
- Remembering and retaining information
Communication and Interaction
A child may have difficulty:
- Talking to others, or having conversations
- Understanding what someone is saying to them.
- Interacting with others or understanding social cues (such as not being able to take turns).
Physical and Sensory
A child may have:
- Hearing impairment or loss
- Vision impairment or loss
- Physical disability
- Multi-sensory impairment
Social, Emotional, and Mental Health
A child may:
- Display low self-esteem or anxious behaviours.
- Display challenging, disruptive or distressing behaviours
- Have underlying conditions which affect their mental health.
Does your child have SEN?
Are you wondering if your child might have SEN? Look out for these signs:
- Significantly greater difficulty in learning than most of their peers of the same age.
- A disability that makes it difficult or impossible for them to use facilities that are available to children of the same age in mainstream schools or post-16 provisions.
- For a child aged 0-5 SEN is likely if they face learning difficulties or disabilities that could affect them when they reach school age or in the future, especially if no specific educational support is provided for them.
Any child is considered to have a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment that significantly affects their daily activities in the long term.
What Can I Do If I Think My Child Has SEN?
If you’ve got a worry about your child’s learning or development, don’t hesitate to have a chat with their class teacher or the school’s SENDCo (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator). Reach out to other professionals involved too, like medical or social care experts.
Kids has a wealth of information and resources on SEND and support available, so feel free to explore all our guides.
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