Defining Special Needs

The acronym SEN is normally used to describe Special Educational Needs.
An individual is defined as having Special Educational Needs if he/she has a Learning Difficulty, or a Physical impairment/disability which requires special educational provision to be made for that individual.

In relation to Childcare, a child can be defined as having a Learning difficulty if they have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age; or has a physical disability which hinders them from making effective use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in schools within the same Local Education Authority (LEA).

Learning Difficulties can be further defined across a spectrum, ranging from Moderate to Severe needs. Physical disabilities are also categorised across a similar spectrum.

Special Educational Needs are, by definition, not solely linked to Learning Difficulties and Physical Impairments. Its definitional boundaries can be extended to accommodate pupils with Emotional and Behavioural difficulties which further illustrate other complex mental conditions.

More recently, pupils who speak English as an additional language (EAL) have also been grouped under the umbrella of SEN.

A more accurate list of SEN terminologies will be defined in detail in the Glossary.