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Caring for Children with Special Educational Needs

How to Know if a Child has Special Needs

If you are unsure about whether your child or a child you are teaching has special needs, here are some key factors that you should consider:

• In the main, a child has SEND if they have significantly greater difficulty in learning than other children of the same age. This definition is not just restricted to children in the Early Years of learning, and can start to be recognized in a child as they make their way through school.
• In order to cast away any uncertainty in the early stages of your child's life at nursery or pre-school, the teaching practitioners should provide you with a written summary of your child's progress, detailing their development and whether they need any additional support. However if your child goes through school and they don't have a statement of SEN, and yet you feel they are not making the expected progress, then you can still take action. You can request an EHC assessment where a number of different educational and health practitioners provide a rounded picture of the strengths and weaknesses of your child. They can give advice and support about whether they need additional measures putting into place both at school and home.

‘Special Needs' Child vs a ‘Disabled' Child

Many people find it difficult to understand the difference between special needs and disability. By contrast to what was discussed above about special needs, according to the Equality Act of 2010, a disability is a mental or physical impairment which has a substantially adverse or long-term effect on a person's normal day to day activities. Children with SEN can have a disability too, but this is not always the case. Additional provisions can be put in place at school and home for those with a disability, just like those with SEN, but these will often be different to what a child with special needs requires. As with all additional support, it must be unique and designed for that individual child in mind.

How to Support Children and Students with Special Needs

If you are feeling unsure about how to support children with special needs, do not worry as there are plenty of important strategies and processes that can be followed.

• Check the SEND Code of Practice. This is a document that contains statutory guidance for anyone who supports or works with children who have SEND. It will help advise on legislation, forming beneficial links across education, health and care, on how to prepare for adulthood from the earliest years, and provides lots of impartial information about further support. This document can also be key to helping educational providers become inclusive settings. The Family and Child Care Trust website has an excellent list of ways that these providers can meet the code of practice.
• Choose a childcare provider that is ‘Good' or ‘Outstanding.' Right before you send your child to nursery or school, it is worth checking the Ofsted ratings of the different settings in your area. Visit the settings as well and get a good feel for what level of education and care your child will receive.
• Make a record of your observations. A really helpful way of supporting a child with SEND for the long term is to write daily observations about the interactions they have with others, and with the world around them. This will then help teachers and parents to spot any signs or changes in need. When the child starts in an EYFS setting, the staff should provide parents with a development summary of their progress. With this document, all stakeholders can decide whether additional support may be required and reduce the risk of the child falling behind.
• Identify the SENCO . All early years providers should employ a person who is trained as a SENCO. By making a good connection with this person, you can ensure that you can keep on top of any support developments and concerns. If your child does not already have an SEND statement or an EHC plan, you can contact the SENCO to request an EHC assessment. If successful, the SENCO will support the child, teaching staff and the parent with the writing and reviewing of the EHC plan.
• Be involved with the EHC plan review. If you are the parent of a child with SEND, then make sure that you can attend the 3-6 month review of their EHC plan. In the meeting you will learn exactly how much progress your child has made and be able to voice your own suggestions and concerns.
• Research into financial support. If as a parent you face additional costs to support the needs of your child, then you may be able to apply for the Disability Living Allowance (DLA). As a result you will also be able to apply for the disabled child element of Child Tax Credit, which could release extra money to help your child at home. Also if you claim Universal Credit you should receive more support with the cost of childcare from the government, and this may extend until your child reaches the age of 17.
• Schools can receive extra funding from the government. If the parent of a child with SEND has been able to claim DLA money, then educational settings can encourage them to apply for a small amount of funding from the Disability Access Fund. If successful, a maximum of £615 per year can be paid to the childcare provider to help cover any additional costs.

What are the Challenges of Raising a Child with Special Needs?

As a parent you may find that there are additional challenges to be faced when raising your SEND child through the childcare and education system. Here are some common challenges and solutions:

• Organising childcare options. Due to the array of the childcare services out there it is very important that you consider exactly what sort of childcare you want; whether your child would be more comfortable in a group setting, at home, or in another person's house. It is also important that you have the opportunity to visit the settings on your shortlist and meet the staff there. This will give you a fuller picture of what support your child will receive, and gives you the chance to ask any questions. The Family and Child Care Trust website has a helpful list of questions you may want to take with you the next time you visit a childcare provider.
• Getting places at specialist after school and holiday care settings . On the whole there are limited spaces for these services, and therefore it is important that you contact and visit them early so your child has a greater chance of accessing them. Also if your child's needs mean that they need a carer who cannot support other children at the same time, then costs for this level of care may be more expensive. Once again, never underestimate how vital it can be for your peace of mind and finances to find out all this information as soon as you can.
• Getting an EHC plan. Many parents find that applying for and receiving an EHC plan can be very difficult, often meaning that they become the most informed figure about their child's special needs and the laws surrounding them. However, it is important that if this becomes the case then you must think of your role in a positive light, and to not be afraid to ask for support from your school's SENCO and teachers. Ultimately you want what is best for your child and this outlook will make it easier to get the wheels rolling. You can also find a guide to SEND laws here, which is easy to read and can provide key support and advice.
• Organizing EHC personal budget payments. If your child receives a statement of SEND and is given an EHC plan to help support them at school and home, then you may be entitled to personal budget payments . It is important that you can get as much information as possible about how this personal budget can be used, and how it works so you can make an informed decision. Do you want the money to go into a separate bank account so you can access it whenever new equipment needs to be bought? Or would you prefer the council or a third party to manage when and how the money can be used? Speaking to your child's education provider, or to your social worker, if you have one, can help you to finalise your decision.
• Solving disputes around the EHC statement. Sometimes parents can be unhappy if their child has been refused an EHC assessment, or if the EHC plan has not been written, reviewed or renewed within the recommended 3-6 month time frame. In the first instance having a meeting with the staff of the educational setting can help to voice your concerns, and can be a quick way of solving any problems. However if nothing changes then parents can contact the Mediation services, which are separate to the council and are free to adults and young people. Meditation advisers can help solve disputes and will also be important if you decide to take any concerns to a SEND tribunal, particularly if you feel your child has been discriminated against because of their disability.

What are the Challenges of Teaching Children in Special Education?

Teachers will of course want to ensure that all children are able to access the curriculum. However there are some key challenges that need to be considered when teaching under special education:

• Applying for extra funding. If you know that you will be teaching pupils who have a special need, then you can access the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) by contacting your Local Authority.
• Creating a good line of communication with parents. Particularly in the Early Years, practitioners should work closely and create an open partnership with parents before a child with SEND attends the setting. This will allow parents to discuss any worries or concerns they have, and then they can help the teaching staff to create a well thought through plan to support their child's learning. If this is a successful partnership that continues as the student grows up, then they will benefit immensely both personally and academically.
• Creating good lines of communication with early years settings outside of school. As a child with SEN moves from nursery or pre-school into primary school, it is imperative that the transition is a smooth one, both to help them settle into the new surroundings and to help the teacher plan lessons which the child can access. Key to this smooth transition is for schools and early years settings to have regular meetings, and then together create carefully considered plans for individual children. This can include recording any physical adjustments that might be needed in the new classroom, as well as noting any sensory or social considerations for learning activities.
• Working with the EHC plan. When a child with SEND receives an EHC statement it is critical that teachers know and help to create the targets that the child needs to reach. This will mean that the student has the best possible chance of meeting the targets, and so better develop their learning and understanding. This can be challenging on top of teaching the other students in the class, but as long as the teacher adheres to taking part in the 3-6 month review, maintains a good working relationship with outside agencies that the support the child, and speak openly and honestly with parents, then following the EHC plan should become second nature. If you are ever unsure then you can search for the SEND code of practice online.

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We hope that you find this advice useful. If you want to find out more then please visit the sites below.

Useful links:

• https://www.pacey.org.uk/working-in-childcare/spotlight-on/caring-for-children-with-special-educational-needs/
• https://www.childcare.co.uk/information/caring-for-children-with-special-educational-needs
• https://www.childcare.co.uk/information/SEND-introduction
• https://www.familyandchildcaretrust.org/guide-childcare-children-special-educational-needs-and-disabilities-england
• https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/supporting-children-special-educational-needs
• https://www.senploy.co.uk/#contact