What is SEND?
SEND stands for Special Educational Needs and Disability.
A Special Educational Need is something that may affect the way you learn such as Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, ADHD, Social and emotional needs, Speech and Language needs, communication needs, Autism or sensory needs. A pupil is identified as having Special Educational Needs if they are finding it harder than other pupils to make progress.
A Disability is any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions).
Although these can be separated by definition, they are very often put together in school or college, especially when creating IEP’s, EHCP’s and other educational support plans.
Where can I find support for my needs?
Finding support when you have SEND can be a bit of a mine field.
The SENDIASS website is a great place to get information, they also have a section especially for young people to offer advice and guidance.
What are my rights in education?
Having SEND at some level may affect how you feel about education, but it shouldn’t affect your right to education. There may be alterations that are needed to make education accessible for you, but you should never be denied an education.
Under the Equality Act 2010:
The Equality Act protects certain groups of people from being discriminated against, such as people with a learning disability. Therefore, a child or young person with a learning disability must not be discriminated against, directly or indirectly, and the reason for this must not be because of their disability.
In education, there are also further rights that children and young people with a learning disability have:
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the right to have ‘reasonable adjustments’ made to ensure that they are not at a substantial disadvantage compared with their peers
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the right to have discrimination eliminated, equality of opportunity promoted and good relations fostered between themselves and children and young people without a disability. This should be enabled by, for example, a school or college.
What are my rights in life?
As a young person with SEND you have the right to access the same services as anyone else. This may mean that you need to have positive adjustments made to areas or places, but this should not make a difference to how you are treated or spoken to. There is a difference between equality and equity. Equality means everyone is treated the same regardless, but equity means that everybody is able to reach the same goals regardless of the extra support that needs to be put in place to make this work for you.
You have the right to express your opinions, be part of decision making that affects you and to be protected from violence and abuse like everybody else.
If you feel these rights are not being met, then check out the website below to get support on these issues.
Who do I go to if I think I've got a SEND need?
If you think you might have a SEND need then there are steps you can take to find out what is happening.
Each school or College should have a SENDCo (Special Educational needs and disabilities coordinator) for you to speak to about your concerns, they should be able to refer you to the appropriate services.
You should also have a teen health officer in school who you can talk to about your concerns, they will be able to offer you guidance of where to look for support.
You might also want to go to your doctor to ask them for referrals to services that can carry out assessments to find out what your SEND need may be.
What financial support am I entitled to?
If you are over 16 you should be entitled to PIP (personal independent payment), this replaces the DLA benefit, it is not means tested and can be claimed regardless of whether you are working or not. It is extra money to help you with your everyday life if you have an illness, disability or mental health condition. To find out more about claiming PIP please visit: Personal Independence Payment | GOV.UK
If you are under 16, you won’t be able to claim benefits for yourself, but your parents may be able to apply for Disability living allowance (DLA) to help gain financial support for anything extra you may need.
They may also be able to apply for carers allowance if they care for you more than 35 hours a week or carers credit if they support you for 20 plus hours a week.
