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In this Guide we’ll help you understand SEN, learning difficulties, and the Special Educational Provisions that your child may be entitled to.
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.
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:
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.
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.
Children and young people with SEN may face hurdles in the some or all the following areas:
A child may have difficulty with:
A child may have difficulty:
A child may have:
A child may:
Are you wondering if your child might have SEN? Look out for these signs:
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.
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.
Childhood should be joyful. Not defined by what disabled children and young people cannot do. That’s wrong.
Kids is on a mission to create a world where all kinds of children and young people have all kinds of opportunities. Support Kids to create brighter futures with disabled children.