An introduction to Special Educational Needs for parent carers
An overview of special educational needs (SEN)
Some children with additional needs may need extra support to help them overcome challenges that impact their learning, such as physical abilities, communication and social skills, mental health, and behavioural issues. These are called special educational needs (SEN) in an educational or childcare setting. The Children and Families Act 2014 describes a child with SEN as having significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of their peers or a disability which prevents them from accessing facilities generally provided for others of the same age.
Some children can have SEN without a diagnosis or recognised disability if they find it difficult to learn in the same way that other children do. For example, if your child has difficulty with reading, writing or numbers, they may have SEN.
Some signs that your child may require extra educational provision might be obvious, whilst others, like continued frustration, unwillingness to settle or getting upset over homework, may be masking the fact they are finding it difficult to access particular tasks.
As a parent carer, if you are concerned about your child and their progress at any age, or suspect they might be having difficulty, you can request help. Start by talking with your child’s key worker, class teacher, school Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator (SENCO), GP or health visitor, who are all trained to support you if you have concerns.
SEN support is the system that schools, early years and childcare settings use to assess the needs of children, and then provide appropriate support. Most children with SEN will attend mainstream school to be educated alongside children both with and without SEN. The law gives you, as the parent carer, the right to choose this option for your child. Within a mainstream school or early years setting, the member of staff who arranges additional support to ensure your child is able to access the curriculum is called the special educational needs coordinator or SENCO.
If your child has more complex needs, you might feel it more appropriate for them to attend a school where they can offer access to specific equipment, specially trained staff and therapists. If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) you can request that your child attend one of these specialist schools.
Identifying SEN can begin from birth, and if health professionals believe your child has SEN, they may ask for your permission to refer them to other specialists, like educational psychologists or speech and language therapists, for extra support. All places of education, from early years to further education, must offer SEN support to students with identified needs.
In an Early Years setting like a nursery, your child will be supported through the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. This means their development and progress are observed and reviewed until they go to school, ensuring there’s support in place if they have SEN. If your child doesn't go to a nursery or playgroup where the EYFS framework is in place, your GP or health visitor can tell you what support is available.
There are two main reviews which all children receive, the first is when your child is two years old and focuses on their language and communication skills, as well as their physical, personal, social and emotional development. The next occurs when they are five, focusing on literacy, mathematics, understanding the world around them and expressive arts and design. Your insights as their parent carer are an important part of these reviews.
At primary and secondary school, your child will be supported by the SENCO and frameworks drawn from The SEND Code of Practice 2015, which outlines four broad areas of need and support. These are communication and interaction, social, emotional and mental health, cognition and learning, and sensory and/or physical needs.
In practice, this means you can request help in many different areas. A special learning programme might be appropriate, or your child needs help participating in class activities or communicating with other children. They might require support with physical or personal care difficulties, like having lunch, getting around school safely or using the bathroom.
The SENCO is your point of contact within the school if your child has SEN. The SENCO is responsible for
- Arranging extra support for those who need it.
- Keeping a record of the support a child receives and their progress.
- Providing parents with clear information about the extra help their child is getting.
- Ensuring that their teaching is accessible.
The SENCO will also create a SEN support plan in collaboration with your child, you as the parent carer, and the teaching staff involved.
An SEN support plan focuses on the goals and aspirations of an individual child, and the outcomes they would like to achieve. The SENCO puts together the plan in collaboration with both the family and the child, which also includes how the education setting intends to support the child in reaching the agreed goals.
Each education setting may have a different name for the plan, so you might see it described as My Plan, One Plan, Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Pupil Support Plan. Whilst the format of each plan can vary slightly, the main points on goals and outcomes will always be included.
Every education setting must publish an SEN Information Report that includes the kinds of special educational needs the setting provides for, the SENCO contact details, as well as their policies and arrangements for students with SEN. You can request to see a copy at any time ensuring that you and your child feel supported at every stage of the educational journey.
What if my child needs additional support?
If your child’s education provider has taken relevant and purposeful action to identify and meet your child’s needs, but they are still not making expected progress, you can request further support. It might be appropriate to seek a diagnosis or an Education, Health and Care Plan assessment. Our articles on Getting a Diagnosis and Understanding the Role of EHCPs may be of help.
Just as every child is an individual, the journey to receiving the support they require will be unique. What you can be sure of is that support is available, and constructive communication between you and any professionals involved is key to moving forward in a positive direction.
Seeking support and advice from other parents who have taken their own SEN journey can also help if your child has SEN and you are wondering what steps to take next.
Other articles that might be of interest here are Getting a Diagnosis, Preparing for Mainstream SchoolandTransitioning from Primary to Secondary School.