SEN – Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
Perhaps, your child struggles to learn when engaged in certain tasks. It may be that their school has suggested that they may have a special educational need.
What does this mean?
Here are some common areas of difficulty. There are many more and are best diagnosed by a specialist.
Dyslexia affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent reading and spelling.
Features of dyslexia include difficulties in
– phonological awareness – not hearing or distinguishing between language sounds
– verbal memory
– verbal processing speed
Dyscalculia is shown as a difficulty in understanding numbers.
Features of dyscalculia include
– difficulties counting backwards
– weak mental arithmetic skills
– a poor sense of numbers & estimation
– high levels of mathematics anxiety
Dyspraxia or Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD) affects physical co-ordination.
It causes a child to perform less well than expected in daily activities for their age, and/or appear to move clumsily. DCD is thought to be around 3 or 4 times more common in boys than girls.
Extra time in exams and special arrangements
Those diagnosed with a special educational need or disability (SEND) may be entitled to extra time or other special arrangements during the following :-
– SATs exams both Key Stage 1 and 2
– 11+ examinations
– Common Entrance
– Independent School Examinations and Assessments
The Gov.UK website has comprehensive information about Access Arrangements for children with SEND. Guidance for schools about access arrangements available for pupils participating in 2026 key stage (KS) national curriculum tests (commonly called SATs).
Most independent schools have Exam Access Arrangements (EAAs). These are commonly adjustments for a child with a Special Educational Need diagnosis. They often include extra time to complete an exam paper, the use of assistive technology, it may even be possible to arrange rest breaks.
These exam arrangements can only be granted if they are the child’s ‘normal way of working’ and the child has a documented history of need. Arrangements must reflect support the child has been given in the past few years, alongside a history of assessment test results.
Arrangements are subject to exam and/or school policies and guidelines and the statemented diagnosis of the child. Support may include:-
– Extra Time
– Child dictates answers/short response answers
– Papers in larger fonts
– Assistive technology e.g. laptop, screen reader etc.
– Early opening of test packs, to adapt test papers
– Highlighter pens
Overview
Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can affect a child or young person’s ability to learn. It is important that children are assessed by a specialist. However, all children, even those who do not have a SEND Statement may benefit from additional support. The following are areas where a child may require additional support:-
- behaviour or ability to socialise, for example they struggle to make friends
- reading and writing, e.g. dyslexia
- ability to understand things
- concentration levels, e.g. ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
- physical ability issues, may include handwriting issues.
Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND): Overview – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
