Children’s special educational
needs and disabilities
The SEN Code of Practice stresses the
importance of not assuming hard and
fast categories of SEN. Each child is
unique and there is a wide spectrum
of special educational needs, although
there are also specific needs that
usually relate directly to particular types
of impairment. Children with SEN and
disabilities have needs and requirements
which may fall into at least one
of four areas:
• Cognition and learning
• Behavioural, emotional and social
• Communication and interaction
• Sensory and/or physical
Many children have inter-related needs.
For example, a pupil with general
learning difficulties may also have a
sensory impairment. Disabled children,
however, do not necessarily have SEN.
The largest group of pupils who may
count as disabled under the DDA but
do not necessarily have SEN are those
with particular medical conditions.