What is SEND?

Learn about Special Educational Needs and Special Educational Provision

If you or your child’s school or college are concerned that your child is not making progress, it’s possible that they may have special educational needs or a disability (SEND). If you have a child with SEND, you may find that it affects their ability to learn.

The Children and Families Act Section 20 says that:

(1) A child or young person has special educational needs if he or she has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.

And

(2) A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she—

has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or
has 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 institutions.

A child or young person with Special Educational Needs (SEN) needs provision which is different from or additional to that normally available to others of the same age.

Special educational provision should be matched to the child’s or young person’s identified needs.

The SEND Code of Practice identifies four broad areas of need and support:

Communication and interaction
Cognition and learning
Social, emotional and mental health
Sensory and/or physical needs

Your child’s needs may have an impact on their behaviour, their ability to make friends or to concentrate. Their needs may affect their reading or writing, or their ability to understand things clearly.

A disability that prevents or hinders a child or young person from making use of the facilities in their setting may require different or additional provision and/or reasonable adjustments.

A child or young person’s difficulties may be caused by recognised conditions such as: