What is SEND
SEND looks like…
Many children have difficulties with learning at some point in their education; however, for most, these challenges can be overcome with support from parents and school.
Children with special educational needs and disabilities have an impairment, learning difficulty and/or disability that requires something different from the way education provision and schools are currently set up to learn and thrive.
A child does not need to have a medical diagnosis to have SEND, and some children may have one or more needs/disabilities.
Some examples of SEND include:
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Sensory impairments (e.g. hearing loss, sight loss)
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Developmental disabilities (e.g. autism, ADHD)
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Specific learning disabilities (e.g. dyscalculia, dyspraxia, dyslexia)
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Mental health conditions (e.g. OCD)
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Physical disabilities (e.g. mobility difficulties)
SEND, a definition
Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) encompasses a wide range of learning difficulties and disabilities that affect a child’s learning such that they require support which is different from or additional to that normally available to their peers so they are able to learn. Sometimes you may see only SEN referred to – this is a narrower definition and covers only Special Educational Needs, whereas SEND, includes disabilities, and is a broader term.
People often think about SEND as barriers to learning, but at The Child Psych, we believe SEND highlights how our educational provision and settings could be more inclusive for the benefit of all children.
The four areas of SEND...
The government’s SEND code of practice outlines four key areas of need for children with SEND. A child with SEND might have difficulties in one or more of these areas.
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Social, emotional and mental health
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Cognition and learning
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Communication and interaction
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Physical and sensory needs
The government SEND code of practice sets out guidance for nurseries and schools to support students with SEND.
SEND support in the schools is…
The government’s SEND code of practice outlines four key areas of need for children with SEND. A child with SEND might have difficulties in one or more of these areas.
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Differentiated instruction – adapting teaching methods and materials so all students can access learning
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Visual aids and adaptive technology – using visual aids and assistive technology (e.g. speech-to-text software)
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Small Group instruction – providing focused support in smaller groups, allowing for more individualised attention and tailoring
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Mentoring – pairing students with a mentor can provide emotional support, guidance and encouragement.
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Access arrangements – making reasonable adjustments, such as extra time or rest breaks, to enable students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills
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Specialist services – accessing specialist support services such as educational psychology or speech and language therapy