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SEN

SEN

Children with special educational needs all have learning difficulties of some sort or ‘disabilities’ that might make it more challenging for them to learn than most children in their class.

It is important to find out the specific nature of the special need that you are going to discuss in your essay, to identify how you might plan for the individual needs, and make yourself aware of school procedures for identifying and supporting children with special educational need (SEN). Also establish what the role of the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) is, and how s/he might support the teacher.

Individual pupils with individual needs

When writing an essay about special educational needs (SEN) it is important to be aware of the particular child or need that you are going to focus on, and to try not to speak about these children as if they are one homogenous group.

Each child will have very particular needs, and will need to be carefully assessed so that these needs can be catered for in the best possible way. That is not to say that they will never be taught in groups, or in a whole class setting, of course, but it is important to make clear in your writing that you are aware of these issues. 

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When writing an essay about special educational needs (SEN) it is important to be aware of the particular child or need that you are going to focus on, and to try not to speak about these children as if they are one homogenous group.
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It is also important to remember that the law says that children do not have learning difficulties just because their first language is not English, although of course some of these children may have learning difficulties as well. 

Common special educational needs

The most common special needs that you are likely to come across in the mainstream classroom include dyspraxia (specific learning difficulty), Asperger’s Syndrome (on the autistic spectrum), Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), speech and language disorders and general learning difficulties (the slow learner). These children may need extra or different help from that given to other children. This particular help is known as ‘differentiation’ and may involve children working in small groups, working with classroom support from an adult or their peers, or working to specific targets. 

A child with special educational needs might have difficulty with: 

  • all of the work in school
  • reading, writing, spelling, number work, understanding information
  • physical co-ordination
  • speaking, expressing themselves or making sense of what others are saying 
  • socialising with their peers
  • relating to adults
  • behaviour
  • organisation of their work
  • an emotional, sensory or physical need which may affect their demeanour in school.       

It is important to remember that it is common for most children to have some kind of SEN at some point during their education. Schools and other organisations can intervene to provide support, which helps many children overcome their difficulties. This has huge implications for the classroom teacher, which you will need to discuss in your essay. On the other hand, some children will require additional help in school for the duration. For your essay, you should research what this might entail, and what it will mean for the classroom teacher in terms of planning, assessment and reporting.

Differentiation

It is important to remember that differentiation enables the teacher to be more varied and flexible in their teaching so that all children, including those with SEN are able to participate, are given appropriate challenges and are extended in ways that meet their abilities and needs. Effective differentiation involves the following:

  • Setting clear objectives that are achievable. 
  • Articulating these objectives to the children so that they understand what is expected of them.
  • Having a good understanding of the subject.
  • Ensuring lessons have suitable content that is accessible. 
  • Enabling children to learn at their own pace.
  • Planning work in meaningful contexts.
  • Planning for progression.
  • Assessing what the child can actually do, and using that information to identify ‘gaps’ in learning and inform planning. 
  • Using teaching approaches that motivate children.
  • Catering appropriately for children’s different abilities.     

Differentiation can take many forms:

  • input (e.g. appropriate use of language, focused questions, targeted information, repetition for specific groups etc)
  • tasks (remember, this does not just mean different worksheets! Think how the same objective might be met through different multi-sensory approaches which involve active learning in meaningful contexts)
  • resources (e.g. arrangement of the classroom environment, materials to support an activity, visual aids, ICT etc) 
  • support (e.g. peer support, group work, adult support – including the role of the teacher)
  • outcome (e.g. teacher/ child expectations for the finished piece of work).     

SEN and the role of the local authority

The Education Act 1993 introduced The Code of Practice, which was revised in 2001. This endeavours to provide clear guidance about the role of local authorities (LAs) and schools in making arrangements for children with SEN. Most schools’ decisions are taken in light of these recommendations. It is advisable, therefore, that as part of your research you become familiar with the requirements of the Code of Practice, and its implications for schools in terms of individual education plans  (IEPs). The requirements include extra support in school, known as Early Years Action in the Early Years setting, and in schools is known as School Action. 

School Action Plus

When outside agencies need to become involved in the intervention programme (e.g. an educational psychologist, behaviour therapist or speech and language therapist etc), this is known as Early Years Action Plus in early education settings, or School Action Plus in schools. If this support does not result in satisfactory progress then the school may request that the LA undertake a Statutory Assessment of the child’s special needs. If the LA decides after the assessment that the child needs more special help, it must write a Statement of Special Educational Needs, which is usually called a 'statement'. Consider, when writing your essay, how these different stages might impact upon planning for individual needs.

Useful reading

  • Cumine,V., Leach, J. & Stevenson, G. (2000) Autism in the Early Years. David Fulton.
  • DfES. (2006) Implementing the Disability Discrimination Act in Schools and Early Years Settings. DfES
  • DfES. (2001) SEN Toolkit.
  • DfES. (2001) Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.
  • Kugler, B. (1998) The Differentiation between Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. SAGE.
  • Peer, L. & Reid, G. (2003) Introduction to Dyslexia. David Fulton.
  • Ripley, K., Daines, B. & Barrett, J. (1997) Dyspraxia: A Guide for Teachers and Parents. David Fulton.
  • Wing, L. (1996) The Autistic Spectrum. A Guide for Parents and Professionals. St Edmundsbury Press Ltd.     

Useful websites
ADHD
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtml  
Asperger Syndrome
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=212
http://www.autism.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=212
Dyspraxia
http://www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/
http://www.rdg.ac.uk/studyskills/dyslexia/dyspraxia%20info.htm
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/members/madeleine.portwood/dysprax.htm
Specific Learning difficulty (Dyslexia)
www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk
http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/
http://www.dyslexic.org.uk/
http://www.dyslexia-teacher.co.uk/

Further information

Resources