1.2 What Are Special Educational Needs?
The Children and Families Act 2014 states: u201cA child or young person has special educational needs if he or she has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.
A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:
- has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
- has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutionsu201d
Children may have conditions such as autism, Downu2019s syndrome, moderate to severe learning difficulties or physical disabilities, the latter of which may also affect their learning.
SEND regulations provide an alternative or adjusted curriculum that will educate children with these varying needs and help them gain skills that will allow them to effectively participate in the working world.
Special educational needs go beyond the curriculum. It is more than just administering a lesson plan to a group of children and making sure that they achieve good test results. SEND must cater to a variety of needs and abilities, and often many of your pupils will be attending to learn underpinning social and communication skills through interaction with others.
Not Just About Curriculum
Learning difficulties require more thought than a mainstream curriculum which is subject-specific. While you may be expected to teach special needs children within a literacy and numeracy-based structure, you will also be expected to know the ways to adjust this curriculum to each childu2019s individual needs. You will be dealing with a variety and range of learning needs, and you will be required to understand each of these differences so that you are able to fulfil your job in the best way possible u2013 teaching your class.
It is also essential for you to note that although each learning difficulty may have certain characteristics, the individual must be at the heart of your teaching. This course will go into further detail with each learning need you will most likely encounter. The aim is for you to have an understanding of different manifestations of special needs and how you can best support your individual students.