What is SEN?

What does SEND stand for?

Special educational needs and disabilities.

What are special educational needs (SEN)?

A child or young person has special educational needs (SEN) if both of the following apply to the child:

• They have a learning difficulty or disability which makes it much harder for them to learn than other pupils of the same age.
• They require special educational provision to be made for them.

SEN is a legal term. A detailed description can be found in the SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years.

What is a disability?

A disability is described in the Equality Act 2010 as:

"A physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities."

Not all children and young people with a disability have SEN, but often, there is an overlap.

Are there different types of SEND?

The SEND Code of Practice describes 4 main areas of SEN:

• communication and interaction needs - including Autistic Spectrum Condition and speech and language difficulties
• cognition and learning difficulties – including specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyscalculia
• social, emotional and mental health difficulties – including ADHD (attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder)
• sensory and physical needs – including hearing impairment and visual impairment.

Some children and young people may have SEND in more than one of these areas.

You can find more information about some different needs and disabilities on this page Summary of needs and disabilities – SEND Local Offer (stoke.gov.uk)