Welcome to our SEN Page which is dedicated to everything you need to know about Special Educational Needs.
Throughout the world, children and young people experience barriers when learning due to cognitive, physical, emotional, social and sensory differences. Special Educational Needs (SEN) is a term describing learners who require additional support with regards to their education so that they appear on more of an equal playing field to their peers.
The purpose of SEN is that every child should have a right to an education that allows them to achieve their potential.
When schools, institutions and educational places adapt their environments to make them inclusive for everyone, not only do learners with SEN benefit, but other learners do too. Neuro-typical learners gain social awareness, empathy and have an appreciation for diversity.
SEN involves a broad range of conditions and some are detailed below.
Autism is a spectrum and therefore learners are affected in different ways. Common challenges can include communication, social interaction and sensory processing difficulties.
Schools can help support children with Autism by providing visual schedules, clear instructions, quiet spaces and routines.
Learners with ADHD may struggle to focus in class and complete work. They can cause disruption to the rest of the class as they may struggle to remain seated and their behaviour can be unpredictable.
Schools can provide movement breaks, broken down instructions rather than all in one go and positive reinforcement to help the learner progress.
These conditions can affect one particular area of learning. Common Specific Learning Difficulties include:
Some learners have language-based difficulties where they struggle to talk and/or understand words. This can in effect cause problems with attention and listening, knowing how to use communication skills socially and learning to read and write.
For this condition, schools must adapt by understanding the best learning style to suit the individual. Speech and Language Therapy is also a must.
Learners who find it hard to hear or see may require:
Conditions that may affect learners physically include cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, or limb differences. Schools will need to provide:
In order to receive the best outcome for your child in relation to SEN provision it helps to identify their needs early on. Teachers, parents or health visitors may notice a child is struggling to meet developmental milestones or finding tasks challenging. Assessment can involve psychologists, consultants, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists or paediatrician.
Many education systems within the UK will use individualised education plans (IEPs) or education, health, and care plans (EHCPs), which outline the learner’s needs, objectives and support strategies.
All learners should have a right to an education and be able to learn alongside their peers in mainstream settings wherever possible. This is what inclusive education stands for. Learners should be able to integrate socially, build confidence, communication skills and a sense of belonging.
Ways to implement inclusive education include:
Whilst some schools offer additional support, some pupils are more suited to an alternative provision. This can include a special school or home schooling. These settings can provide:
Many teachers achieve their degrees, complete their Qualified Teacher Status qualification and are able to teach. However, is there a big skills gap missing here for SEN? If you are a parent or caregiver of a SEN child, you are generally armed with knowledge and experience to handle meltdowns, sensory processing difficulties and speech difficulties. When children are branded with ‘bad behaviour’, is there normally an underlying reason?
In order to deliver SEN support, teachers must have the expertise to understand different disabilities. Training could include:
In order for SEN provision to be effective families, educators and specialists need to be working together. Parents know their child better than anyone and therefore can bring invaluable knowledge of the child. Teachers should have the expertise to adapt their lessons to meet the individual’s needs and manage behaviour.
Regular reviews on the child’s progress, further support interventions and strategies are important going forward.
Despite everything that is needed for our SEN children to thrive at school and home, there is always funding constraints. This in turn limits the amount of specialist support and training.
Whilst we have come along way, there is still also a stigma which may affect learners’ confidence and social relationships.
Finally, teacher workload can hinder consistent support and delivery.
SEN is a huge area for schools to grasp and teachers have a tough job identifying the needs of each individual. By understanding the wide spectrum of special needs and adopting inclusive, friendly environments, all learner can succeed and feel accepted.
