16 JULY 2026
If your child has been identified by their school or by a support worker or health visitor as possibly having SEN, most parents and carers will be worried about what this could mean for their child. How will this affect their education and their future life? Here, Adele Wadey, our Parent Support Specialist, explores what SEN is, what it covers, and the options available for support.
4 minute read
Understanding the basics
Let’s start at the beginning – what does SEN mean? SEN is an abbreviation for Special Educational Need.
Children with special educational needs are those whose learning challenges are greater than those of most children of the same age, which means that they need additional support or a different kind of support to access learning and make progress in school. In other words, the child’s learning needs cannot be met completely by the normal mainstream school provision. This may also mean that it is more difficult for the child to access the facilities that the school offers in the same way.
Having a special educational need can look different for each child. There are many special educational needs currently recognised in schools. There are four broad areas of need that are used to group SEN. These help educators and parents understand the child’s needs and plan the right kind of support.
Communication and interaction
A wide range of difficulties comes under this heading. These include children who have difficulties with pronouncing their words; others may struggle to understand or use verbal and non-verbal communication, which means they have difficulty saying what they want to and may not understand what is being said to them. Some have difficulty understanding and following instructions, taking part in conversations, or knowing how to interact socially with peers and adults. Conditions that come under this heading include Speech, Language and Communication Needs, known as SCLN and Autism Spectrum Disorder, known as ASD.
Everyone with SLCN is an individual and will have different needs, and these may change over time. They can also have difficulties with some or all of the different aspects of SLCN at different times.
The support given to children with Communication and Interaction difficulties can include speech and language therapy, social skills training and structured communication strategies that help to engage the child more effectively in learning and social settings.
Cognition and learning
Some children experience learning difficulties that mean they learn at a slower pace than their peers. There are three categories of learning difficulty: Moderate Learning Difficulty, known as MLD; Severe Learning Difficulty, known as SLD; and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties, known as PMLD. These descriptions help to identify the level and type of difficulty the child has so that appropriate support can be put in place. Cognition and Learning also cover Specific Learning Difficulties, known as SpLD. These include dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia, also known as Developmental Co-ordination Disorder or DLD. Help with Cognition and Learning can include differentiated teaching, additional learning resources and targeted interventions to support children to reach their academic potential.
Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH)
Children and young people may experience a wide range of difficulties which can show themselves in different ways. Children may face challenges with emotional regulation, social relationships and mental health. Conditions include anxiety, depression, ADHD, attachment disorder and OCD. Behaviours may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, displaying challenging or disruptive behaviour or an inability to focus and engage with learning and other activities. Support with SEMH needs can include counselling, behaviour management strategies and social-emotional learning programs to help children understand and manage their emotions so that they can interact positively with others. Some conditions, such as ADHD and depression, can also be managed with the help of appropriate medication.
Sensory and/or Physical Needs
Some children have physical disabilities, medical conditions or sensory impairments that prevent them from accessing education without an adapted learning environment or specialist equipment. These can include visual impairment, hearing impairment or mobility difficulties. This area also covers difficulties with fine and gross motor skills and sensory issues with aversions to noises, tastes, smells and also sensory seeking behaviours. Support with sensory needs includes input from Occupational Therapists (OT) and support such as sensory circuits, specialist equipment and sensory regulation activities. Help can also be given, for example, to support restricted eating and to improve fine motor skills to help a child hold a pencil/cutlery.
Children with SEN may very often have needs across several of these broad areas, and each child is an individual with their own individual personality and profile. It is often overwhelming when you realise that your child may have SEN, and you can feel anxious and not know the best ways to support them.