Special Educational Needs
What are special educational needs?
Understanding SEN and getting support
We believe that all children and young people may experience learning difficulties at some point. This is not unusual. For most children, the difficulties are temporary and are soon overcome with help and encouragement from home and school.
So we need to learn more about the term ‘Special Educational Needs’ which is used to describe learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for children to learn than most children of the same age and that will be applied in many aspects of life that are not always related to education. Children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) are likely to need extra or different help from that given to other children their age. This help is known as special educational provision.
Children are not considered to have SEN just because their first language is not English, although some children for whom English is not a second language may also have learning difficulties.
What types of difficulties are covered by the term SEN?
Children may have difficulties in one or more areas. Here are some examples:
1-Thinking, understanding, and learning: these children may find all learning activities difficult, or have particular difficulties with some learning activities such as reading and spelling.
2-Emotional and behavioral difficulties: these children may have very low self-esteem and lack confidence. They may find it difficult to follow rules or settle down and behave properly in school.
3-Speech, language, and communication: these children may have difficulty in expressing themselves or understanding what others are saying to them. They may find it hard to make friends or relate to others. They may find it difficult to make sense of the world around them or to organize themselves.
4-Physical or sensory difficulties: these children may have a disability or a medical condition that has an impact upon their learning. They may have a visual or hearing impairment.
Each special educational need has a unique impact on each child and young person. We have endeavored to pull together our combined experience of each special educational need to give an indication of the likely impact and level of intervention that may be called for.
- ADHD
- Anxiety
- Anorexia
- Aphasia
- Asperger’s syndrome
- Auditory processing disorder
- Autistic spectrum disorder
- Behavioral difficulties- EBD, SEBD, SEMH
- Brain Injury
- Bulimia
- Cancer
- Cerebral atrophy
- Cerebral palsy
- Conduct disorder
- Cystic fibrosis
- Developmental delay
- Down syndrome
- Duane Syndrome
- Dyscalculia
- Dysgraphia
- Dyslexia
- Dyspraxia
- Echolalia
- Epilepsy
- Fine and gross motor skill delay
- Fragile X syndrome
- Global developmental delay
- Glue Ear
- Hearing impairment
- High-functioning autism
- Irlen Syndrome
- Hydrocephalus
- Learning difficulties
- Moderate learning difficulties
- Multi-sensory impairment
- Muscular dystrophy
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Oppositional defiant disorder
- Pathological demand avoidance
- Pervasive developmental disorder
- Prader-Willi syndrome
- Profound and multiple learning disabilities
- Rett Syndrome
- Semantic pragmatic disorder
- Sensory processing disorder
- Severe learning difficulties
- Smith-Magenis syndrome
- Spina bifida
- Social anxiety disorder
- Social skills difficulties
- Sotos syndrome
- SWAN
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Visual impairment
- Visual processing disorder
- Worster-Drought syndrome
What happens if a child has SEN?
The first and most important thing to remember is that all children with SEN are entitled to receive a broad, balanced and suitable education which includes the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (for children aged 3 to 5) or the National Curriculum (for children aged 5 to 16).
Most children with SEN have their needs met in a mainstream school or early settings, although some children with more complex needs benefit from the more specialist help offered in a special school.
You should be told if the school thinks your child has or may have SEN and how the school will be helping your child. Your views are very important and so are your child’s own views. The school should make sure that you are involved in all decisions that affect your child because you have a vital role in supporting your child’s education.
What can I do if I think my child has SEN?
If you are worried about any aspect of your child’s development or learning, talk to your child’s teacher, the SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator), headteacher or any other professional working with your child.
Further support
If you would like further information about SEN or just to talk to someone about your concerns, please feel free to leave your comment below, contact us on our WhatsApp number +201093923213, email us at support@magrida.com or send a message to our Facebook page Magrida Courses.
