What special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are
Someone has special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability which means they need support to access their education. Someone is disabled if they have a physical or mental difficulty which has a significant and long-term impact on their daily life, including long-term illnesses.
Special educational needs and disabilities is often shortened to SEND.
Identifying children’s needs
All children are individual and develop at different rates. If you're worried about your child's development, progress or behaviour, there are people you can speak to for advice.
Early years (0 to 5 years old)
Find information abut identifying SEND in the early years.
Find information about childcare and early education.
School-aged children
Your child’s school has a designated Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo), who you can speak to if you have any concerns. You can find information about each school in the borough, their approach to SEND and support they can give in our school reports.
You can get professional advice and support from our staff at a SEND surgery drop in session. See our events and activities page for upcoming dates.
Most children with SEND will attend a mainstream school as we make sure our schools offer high quality teaching, with a focus on inclusivity. Find out about our ordinarily available provision and watch our video on quality teaching and learning for all:
Asking for help
It can feel overwhelming if you're not sure how to get help, so ask any questions you need to. You can ask professionals to repeat what they've said and ask them to explain something in a different way to help you understand.
Connect with other parents and carers of children with SEND at our Camden Parent Carer Forum.
SENDIASS can give you impartial advice and support with all SEND-related matters. Parents, carers and young people can seek advice or support from SENDIASS by completing their contact form - you'll get a response within 5 working days.