You can use this page to learn about the types of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and what support is available for children and young people with SEND.
SEND Hub - what is SEND?
Children and young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) usually have a learning difficulty or disability which needs special health and education support. Some children may have SEND because of a diagnosed medical condition or disability. Others may have SEND without a diagnosis or disability. Children and young people with SEND can still make progress with support in their school or setting, but some may need extra support to achieve the same as others.
Types of SEND
The SEND Code of Practice says there are four main areas of SEND. Children and young people may have SEND in more than one of these areas.
You can read the SEND Code of Practice on the GOV.UK website.
Communication and interaction
People with communication and interaction needs might:
- struggle to talk to others or say what they mean
- find conversations confusing or intimidating
- not understand what other people are saying
- not understand non-verbal communication
- communicate in ways others do not understand
Cognition and learning difficulties
People with cognition and learning difficulties might:
- struggle with memory
- learn at a slower pace and find school difficult
- find it difficult to organise information
- have a specific learning difficulty (SpLD) like dyslexia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Sensory and physical needs
People with sensory and physical needs might have:
- a hearing impairment
- a visual impairment
- a physical disability
- multi-sensory impairment
Social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH)
People with SEMH difficulties might:
- struggle to form relationships
- isolate from school or social groups
- struggle to manage emotions or process feelings
- have a mental health diagnosis
Support is available for children and young people with SEND
There are two main ways you can find support for SEND.
Support from educational settings
If a child or young person is not making progress through the school’s basic teaching and support, you can discuss what extra support is available with the child’s teacher or the school’s special educational needs coordinator (SENCO).
There is lots of support you can get through your school or setting, like a learning support plan, an education, health, and care plan, or support from educational therapists or psychologists. Speak with your child’s teacher or the school’s SENCO for more information.
Support from the council and our partners
You can use the webpages in the SEND Hub to find lots of helpful information and contact details for teams who can offer you support.
Trial the NHS learning disability screening tool for children and young people
Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucester are trialling the NHS learning disability screening tool to find out how useful it might be. After the trial period, we'll review the tool to understand the benefits of using it.
The learning disability screening tool is a short questionnaire that can help identify if a child or young person aged between six and 18 may have a learning disability.
The tool can't:
- tell you if the child or young person definitely has a learning disability or not, it can only give you an indication
- diagnose the specific learning disability the child or young person may have
Remember that the tool can only give an indication of whether the child or young person has a learning disability or not. You must always get an assessment from a professional, such as your GP, to confirm what the tool tells you.