Introduce
Because of the individual and emergent character of SEN, the Code of Practice has outlined four areas to indicate the range of needs that will require support. This is not to categorise or diagnose children, but to help settings to support children and young people. These areas and needs may overlap and change. The Code of Practice highlights the importance of focusing on children’s individual needs to ensure that educational settings are places to thrive.
This links with the idea of School Readiness, the developmental areas that are the foundation for preparedness for formal learning education. The concept of school readiness is applied to children being prepared to start school and successfully engage in the learning process. Areas of development include:
- Physical Development: motor skills, such as holding objects and coordination.
- Cognitive Development: Literacy and numeracy skills, problem-solving, concentration and the following instructions.
- Language and Communication Skills
- Social and Emotional Development
- Self-Care Skills: Independent skills – there is an emphasis on getting dressed, being toilet trained and eating.
- Approach to Learning
Schools carry out observations and assessments and seek parental input to gauge readiness for school. However, whilst this can be a useful insight, it can suggest a one-size-fits-all view of where children should be at, and this disadvantages children, including those with SEND.
Develop
While families and early years settings can play an important role in ensuring children feel comfortable at school, schools must also adapt to meeting the needs of children, as Nuala Finegan explores in this video:
Watch Alison Gurney on how SEND issues may first present:
For more on this: Cognitive_science_approaches_in_the_classroom_-_A_review_of_the_evidence.pdf
Nursery in the park sensory room – video*
Reflect
Think about your expectations of what children at specific ages. Why might the concept of school readiness be problematic?
Children are not regarded as having SEN due to:
- the language or form of language of their home is different from the language in which they will be taught
- they have needs based upon social deprivation
- they are Looked After Children
Frederickson and Cline (2015) distinguish between SEN and ‘Additional Educational Needs’ (AEN)
The areas of need we focus on in the next sprints are: