WHAT ARE SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS? 

Special educational needs, often referred to as ‘SEN’ or ‘SEND’ (Special educational needs and disabilities), is a term used to describe learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for a child to learn compared to children of the same age.   

All children may experience challenges with their learning at some point during their school life and for most children, these difficulties are overcome with support from teachers and home. 

However, children with SEND are likely to need extra or different help to be able to learn.   

Some children may have SEND because of a medical condition or disability, other children may have SEND without a diagnosis or disability.   

A child or young person has SEN if:   

• They have significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of other children and young people the same age   
• They have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 settings. 

 A child or young person has a disability if:   

• They have a physical and mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out day-to-day activities.   

  What types of difficulties are SEND? 

Children may have difficulties in one or more of these areas: 

Cognition and Learning 

A child may find all learning difficult or have difficulties with specific activities such as reading or spelling. A child may have trouble understanding instructions and carrying out tasks. A child may have memory difficulties. 

Communication and Interaction 

A child may have difficulty in talking to others or understanding what others are saying to them. A child may have difficulty with interactions with others, such as not being able to take turns. 

Physical and Sensory

A child may have hearing or vision loss. A child may have difficulty with sensory processing, being under or over-sensitive. A child may have a medical condition which affects them physically.   

Social, Emotional and Mental Health 

A child may display behaviours such as having very low self-esteem or being very anxious. A child may display challenging, disruptive or distressing behaviours. 

A child may have underlying conditions which affect their mental health.   

Want to find out more?

Look below for more information about the most common neurodiverse conditions, specific learning difficulties and mental health challenges that are more commonly referred to as SEND. 

UNDERSTANDING NEURODIVERISTY?