There are 4 areas of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND):
Sensory and/or physical need
This includes:
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Visual Impairment (VI)
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Hearing Impairment (HI)
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Physical Disability (PD)
Some children and young people have a disability that prevents or hinders them using educational facilities. Their needs can change as they grow older.
Many children with Vision Impairment, Hearing Impairment or Multi-sensory Impairment need specialist support and/or equipment.
Children and young people with MSI have difficulties with both vision and hearing. For information on how to provide support, see Care for Deaf/Blind Children and Adults.
Some children and young people with a physical disability (PD) need additional ongoing support and equipment. They need this to access the same opportunities as their peers.
Children with visual and/or hearing impairments may receive support from the Children’s Sensory Team (CST). Those with a physical disability may need support from:
- an occupational therapist
- a physiotherapist
For more information, see SEND Code of Practice:0-25 Years - January 2015 (6.34 and 6.35).
Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)
Children can experience a range of social and emotional difficulties. These can cause children to:
- become withdrawn or isolated
- display challenging, disrupting or disturbing behaviour
These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as
- anxiety or depression
- self-harming
- substance misuse
- eating disorders
- physical symptoms that are medically unexplained
These difficulties may not have been identified before nursery or pre-school. Some concerns may be raised during an initial visit.
For more information, see SEND Code of Practice:0-25 Years - January 2015 (6.32).
Cognition and Learning
Support for learning difficulties may be needed when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation.
Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including:
- Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD)
- Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD): Children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and communication
- Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD): Children are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment.
- Specific learning difficulties (SpLD): These affect one or more specific aspects of learning. It includes conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.
For more information see SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 - January 2015 (6.30 and 6.31).
Communication and Interaction
Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) have difficulty in communicating with others.
This may be because:
- they have difficulty saying what they want to say
- they have difficulty understanding what is being said to them
- they do not understand or use social rules of communication
The profile for every child with SLCN is different. Their needs may change over time. They may have difficulty with one, some or all of the different aspects of speech, language or social communication at different times of their lives. They may have support from a speech and language therapist (SLT).
Autistic Children are likely to have difficulties with social interaction. They may also have difficulties with language, communication and imagination. This can impact on how they relate to others.
For more information, see SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 - January 2015 (6.28 and 6.29).