What are special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

For some children, Special Educational Needs (SEN) can be identified at an early age. However, for other children and young people difficulties become evident only as they develop.

The four broad areas set out on this page give an overview of the range of needs that are planned for in educational settings. The purpose of identification is to work out what action the setting needs to take, not to fit a child or young person into a category. In practice, individual children or young people often have needs that cut across all these areas and their needs may change over time.

Cognition and learning

Children can have specific learning difficulties (SpLD) in the areas of reading, spelling and understanding instructions or carrying out tasks. They may find remembering instructions and sequencing difficult.

Support for learning difficulties may be needed when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), where children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and communication, through to profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), where children are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment.

Specific learning difficulties (SpLD), affect one or more specific aspects of learning. This encompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.

Communication and interaction

Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) have difficulty in communicating with others. They may have difficulty saying what they want or understanding what is being said to them or they may not understand or use social rules of communication. The profile for every child with SLCN is different and their needs may change over time. They may have difficulty with one, some or all of the different aspects of speech, language or social communication at different times of their lives.

Children and young people with ASD, including Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism, are likely to have particular difficulties with social interaction. They may also experience difficulties with language, communication and imagination, which can impact on how they relate to others.

Sensory and/or physical needs

Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time. Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning, or habitation support. Children and young people with an MSI have a combination of vision and hearing difficulties.

Some children and young people with a physical disability (PD) require additional ongoing support and equipment to access all the opportunities available to their peers.

Social, emotional and mental health

Children or young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, or displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. Other children and young people may have disorders such as attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder.

Schools and colleges will have clear processes to support children and young people, including how they will manage the effect of any disruptive behaviour so it does not adversely affect other pupils.

Types of learning difficulty or disability (LDD)

Moderate learning difficulty (MLD)

A child or young person with MLD may take longer to learn skills than the majority of their peers and are likely to require extra support in school.   

Severe learning difficulty (SLD)

A child or young person with SLD will have significant learning impairments which will impact their ability to learn without high levels of specialist support.   

Profound and multiple learning difficulty (PMLD)

A child or young person with PMLD will have multiple and complex learning needs. In addition to severe learning difficulties they may have physical difficulties, sensory impairment, or a severe medical condition. A high level of specialist support will always be needed.  

Specific learning difficulty (SpLD)

Specific learning difficulties include dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia. A child with SpLD may require some support in school targeted to their specific area of difficulty such as spelling or numeracy.   

What help is available?

Learn more about the help and support available if you have  concerns about your child.

What is special educational provision?   

Special education is any educational or training provision which is extra to or different from what is needed by other children or young people the same age.

Learn more about our SEN support services and how our Graduated approach framework supports children and young people with SEND in schools and college.

The SEND Code Of Practice Chapter 6 gives more in-depth information.

Need more help?

The information, advice and support service (IASS) provides confidential and impartial advice and information to support parents or carers and children and young people who have, or may have, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) aged 0 to 25.