Room 5 - Education Policies Room (Section 2 of 6)
Section 2: Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Description of Special Educational Needs (SEN)
The following description of SEN is taken from a DfES report entitled ‘Special Educational Needs - A guide for parents and carers’. See ‘Useful links / resources’ below.
The term ‘special educational needs’ has a legal definition. Children with special educational needs all have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children of the same age. These children may need extra or different help from that given to other children of the same age.
Children with special educational needs may need extra help because of a range of needs, such as in thinking and understanding, physical or sensory difficulties, emotional and behavioural difficulties, or difficulties with speech and language or how they relate to and behave with other people. Many children, approx 20% nationally according to the DfES (DfES 2001), will have special educational needs of some kind at some point during their education. Schools and other organisations can help most children overcome the barriers that their difficulties present quickly and easily. But a few children, approx 2% (DfES 2001), will need extra help for some or all of their time in school.
Children with visual impairment will have a wide range of special educational needs. In order to meet these needs they may require support in a number of areas including listening skills, tactile skills, visual skills, access through technology, and mobility and independence skills (see Curriculum Room), that together make up the ‘special’ curriculum, described previously in this room.
Useful Links / resources
The DfES report entitled ‘Special Educational Needs - A guide for parents and carers’ (2001a) offers general information and advice on the support that parents of children with SEN are entitled to, and to this end is a useful resource for any person interested in finding out more about SEN. The document can be downloaded (or ordered) by following links from the following web site: The Department for Education and Skills, Special Educational Needs Section.
DfES (2001b). Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. DfES Publications. ISBN: 1 84185 5294 Available online at: The Department for Education and Skills, Special Educational Needs Section.
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