Special educational needs (SEN) or special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) describe the additional learning requirements that some students have. These include behavioural difficulties, communication, coordination, concentration and social interaction. SENDs are conditions that impact a child's classroom learning ability.
What Are SEN and SEND?
- The term special educational needs and disabilities refers to students who:
- Have disabilities that require special educational provisions due to their inability to make use of the educational facilities provided for their same-aged peers in mainstream schools.
- Have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it significantly more challenging for them to learn compared to their peers of the same age.
What are the common types of special educational needs?
The most common types of special educational needs are:
- Intellectual disability or developmental delay - this can be caused by many health conditions in childhood or even before birth. It's usually diagnosed when a child has trouble learning new things as they grow older; their IQ scores are below 70; they have problems using language effectively; have difficulty relating to other people; have problems thinking logically or reasoning out solutions to problems; they may find it hard to concentrate on tasks at hand.
- ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- Dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia (learning difficulties related to language processing, maths abilities, or writing)
- Physical disabilities limit a person's physical functioning, mobility, dexterity, or stamina, significantly impacting their ability to undertake standard educational requirements.
- Speech-language disabilities include difficulties with articulation (pronunciation), fluency (stuttering), voice quality, and resonance/articulation accuracy.
Legislation around SEN and SEND
Plenty of protections exist for students with SEN or SEND in the UK. Many other countries have similar protections, which can be used as rough guidelines on what to expect if you are not in the UK.
- The Care Act 2014 outlines the necessary steps to assist individuals over 18. It clarifies eligibility requirements, assessment procedures, and when fees may apply for the support provided.
- The Equality Act 2010 states that no one can discriminate against disabled individuals, both children and adults, when providing services. It also provides guidance on how to ensure equal treatment for disabled individuals.
- Children and Families Act 2014 (part 3) explains our obligations towards children and young adults with special educational needs and disabilities.
- The Special Educational Needs Regulations 2014 explains personal budget allocations and criteria required for direct payments.
- SEN Code of Practice 2014 outlines our responsibilities to support children and young people aged 0 to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities.
Identifying special educational needs
If you're a parent, there may be times when you suspect that your child has special educational needs. If this is the case, you should first talk to their teacher or school about what they have observed, then discuss it with an appropriate healthcare professional, such as a psychiatrist or GP. This proactive approach can lead to early intervention and support, ensuring your child's needs are met.
If you're an educator, your role in supporting students with special educational needs is invaluable. You are likely to spot signs of struggle in students which are not so obvious outside the school environment - they might be capable in many aspects but get lost, overwhelmed or anxious with one particular aspect of their education. Your insight may be worth sharing with their parents to encourage them to investigate further.
Talking about SEND with parents or educators can be difficult; there may be concerns about how they'll react and whether they will understand what they can do to help. However, all parties involved benefit from being aware of any problems so that appropriate action can be taken as soon as possible if necessary.
Challenges faced by students with special educational needs and disabilities
There are many challenges that students with special educational needs and disabilities face. These include:
- Social exclusion and feeling different from their peers
- Missing out or not being included in social and educational opportunities
- Teachers may get frustrated by their disabilities
- Loud classrooms or triggering environments can lead to anxiety, depression, or burnout
- Being bullied
The result of these challenges is that children may feel different from their peers, affecting their self-esteem.
How to make the classroom more inclusive to those with special educational needs - Tips for teachers
Inclusive teaching is about making your classroom a place where all students can learn and succeed. This can be achieved by using differentiated strategies, which means tailoring your lesson to the needs of each child in the class.
We all know that teaching can be a very challenging job. It already takes incredible dedication, hard work and understanding to bring knowledge to students, so there is no criticism of their commitment to supporting children in general.
The following ideas may not be practical in many situations, but are suggestions for improving teaching methods for children who are struggling:
Teach in small groups or pairs - if you have a large group of students with SEND who need more support than others, try splitting them into two or three smaller groups so they can work together on their level. Let them choose which group they want to be in; this will help them feel more comfortable with each other and take ownership of their learning experience.- Use individual tutorials - some children might need more individual attention than others regarding understanding new concepts or skills (this could also be because they have dyslexia). Consider having regular one-to-one sessions with these children so they don't fall behind while everyone else works together on projects as part of the whole class.
If these suggestions are not actionable, it is worth considering outside help. Coaching and tutoring are good options that provide personalised support.
Areas of focus while teaching students with special educational needs and disabilities
The following are some of the areas of focus while teaching students with special educational needs and disabilities:
- Teaching methods. Teachers can use various strategies to help students with SEND learn more effectively, such as providing them with multisensory learning experiences or using technology in the classroom to support their individualised learning plans.
- Teacher training. Teachers must understand how to implement these strategies so that they can support all children in their classrooms, regardless of whether they have an identified SEND or not; this is especially important for teachers who may not be qualified for specific types of special education certification but still want their students' needs met by qualified professionals (such as speech therapists).
- Teacher collaborative partnerships (TCPs). TCPs include parents, school staff members other than teachers (e.g., school counsellors), community agencies such as charities with expertise in relevant conditions), etc."
If a child with a SEND does not feel included in the classroom, it can harm their academic success and social-emotional growth.
How to support the emotional and social well-being of students at school - Tips for teachers and parents
The emotional and social well-being of students with SEN or SEND is vital to their educational progress. Students who feel supported, understood and accepted by others will likely have higher self-esteem, better relationships with teachers and peers, greater motivation for learning and improved behaviour.
Teachers and parents can help support the emotional well-being of students by:
- Being aware of any additional needs they may have;
- Ensuring that all aspects of school life are accessible (for example, ensuring that writing on boards is large enough for everyone);
- Ensuring there are suitable places at break times where children can go if they need some quiet time;
- Encouraging children who might find it hard to make friends through informal activities such as reading groups or sporting clubs;
- Supporting children when changes happen in their lives outside school (for example, death or illness in the family).
Support outside the classroom
Students with SEN often benefit from additional support outside the classroom in order to ensure that they are meeting their educational goals. Parental support and communication is vital here in order to understand each child's unique requirements. Here we have listed some suggestions for academic support outside of school:
- Help your child set up a calm and comfortable study environment at home. Consider providing visual aids such as calendars, clocks and subject-related posters as well as sensory comforts such as noise-cancelling headphones and comfortable seating according to your child's sensory needs.
- Consider providing extra academic resources for your child to support their school studies. For example, many students with reading difficulties find audio books much easier to digest than the physical books provided by their school.
Consider SEN tutoring. SEN tutors work with students in one-to-one sessions, usually helping with specific subjects for which the student requires particular support. SEN tutors tailor their approach to each student's needs, addressing their educational goals and helping them develop confidence and self-esteem.
Successful case studies from Sunbeam Education
At Sunbeam Education, our SEN tutors work with students with special educational needs and support them with their educational goals. We work on short-term goals, such as achieving a specific grade for an exam, and long-term goals, like reducing anxiety over written work and building self-confidence. Often, both long-term and short-term support are combined for the best results.
Here, founder Alex Pagett shares two examples of students (all identifying information has been removed) he has previously tutored who exemplify these two types of support:
Jenny - ADHD and Bi-polar
"An excellent example of a student who needed short-term help was Jenny; she struggled to stay on task during revision for her A-level exams, however, needed a high grade to go to university. Jenny has ADHD and bipolar, so we needed to work on making the most of the times when she felt most productive and being patient and kind to herself when things were too much to handle.
We practised exercises that helped her let go of her internal bully and set 10 hours of revision per week as a goal, a change from the usual daily goals recommended to students, as we knew that her mood changes and stress would swing a lot day to day. These changes to her expectations of herself significantly improved her mental health as we approached exams.
People with special educational needs are often very tough on themselves as they try to compete with people who don't struggle academically in the same way as them, and for Jenny, learning this was a revelation. We also hit the goal of an average of 10 hours of revision per week."
Alice - ADHD and Anxiety
"Our second example is Alice; she suffered from exam anxiety and froze during assessments. Part of the problem was that she was knowledgeable and had lots of good ideas but needed help to put them onto paper. She would get very flustered and stressed and then forget the vital information. The other significant issue was that she was a perfectionist and very tough on herself, which overwhelmed her when she was under pressure. This problem occurred for years, and Alice now expected to freeze during exams; we had to show that she could work through it.
Working towards the short-term goal of getting through her A-levels involved practice essay drills. We focused on writing a plan and a short essay in under an hour. This was then repeated at least once daily, building her confidence in her skills.
During our practice, I learned that she was not originally planning on taking her A-level exams because she was so stressed about them. Together, we built her confidence enough to be reasonably comfortable during the exams, and there were no significant issues.
However, our primary challenge was changing her view of herself as an academic failure. Changing something so deeply ingrained can be highly challenging. To do so, we settled on regular meditation practice; this allowed her to become more aware of the situations that stressed her out and allowed us to address them more directly.
Over the following three months, we saw significant improvement in her self-confidence, leading to a much calmer approach to stressful situations. As a result, Alice decided to go to university after a year out and is now enjoying studying psychology."
Addressing challenges and future directions
Challenges to implementing SEND policies include the need for more funding, resources, and government support. While many countries have adopted policies that promote inclusion in education, much work remains to be done to ensure all children receive an equal opportunity to learn in school.
The importance of research cannot be overstated; however, more research must be conducted on the best practices required to help students with SEND in the long run. A big challenge with research like this is that the outcome (whether the students see a benefit from a particular type of support) could take years or decades to emerge.
Collaboration between educators, parents, and students would also help improve outcomes for students with special needs by providing better feedback and faster responses to good or bad support practices.
