Introduction
Children and young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) usually have a learning difficulty or disability which needs special health and education support. Some children may have SEND because of a diagnosed medical condition or disability. Others may have SEND without a diagnosis or disability. Children and young people with SEND can still make progress with support in their school or setting, but some may need extra support to fulfil their potential.
The law says a child or young person has SEN if they:
- Find learning much harder than others the same age, or
- Have a disability that makes it difficult to use the same school facilities as others their age.
You can read more in the SEND Code of Practice.
Areas of Need
The SEND Code of Practice says there are four main areas of SEND. Children and young people may have SEND in more than one of these areas.
Communication and interaction
People with communication and interaction needs might:
- struggle to talk to others or say what they want to
- find conversations confusing or intimidating
- not understand what other people are saying
- not understand non-verbal communication
- communicate in ways others do not understand
Cognition and learning difficulties
People with cognition and learning difficulties might:
- struggle with memory
- learn at a slower pace and find school difficult
- find it difficult to organise information
- have a specific learning difficulty (SpLD) like dyslexia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- have moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD) or profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD)
Sensory and physical needs
People with sensory and physical needs might have:
- a hearing impairment
- a visual impairment
- a physical disability
- multi-sensory impairment
Social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH)
People with SEMH difficulties might:
- struggle to form relationships
- isolate from school or social groups
- struggle to manage emotions or process feelings
- have a mental health diagnosis
You can find out more about identifying barriers by using the quick checkers for each area of need, and strategies to put in place for each area of need in Somerset’s Graduated Response Tool.