Special educational needs

How it is used

A British term, usually shortened to SEN, or SEND when disabilities are included. Schools say a pupil 'has special educational needs'. In the US the usual words are special education and students with disabilities.

Example sentences

1. About one in six pupils in the school has special educational needs.

2. The SENCO coordinates support for pupils with special educational needs.

Common collocations

• pupils with special educational needs
• special educational needs coordinator
• SEN support
• identify special educational needs

Related terms

• inclusive educationAn approach in which all children, including those with disabilities or other barriers to learning, learn together in ordinary schools and classes with the support they need.
• learning disabilityA lasting condition that affects how a person learns or processes information; its exact meaning differs between American and British English.
• IEPIndividualized Education Program: a written plan for a student with special educational needs that sets out their goals, the support and services they will get, and how progress will be measured.
• accommodationA change in how a student learns or is tested, such as extra time, a quiet room or larger print, that removes a barrier without changing what the student is expected to learn.
• resource roomA separate room in a regular school where students with special educational needs receive individual or small-group teaching for part of the day.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• special educational needs · Child Development & Early Education

More terms: Special and Inclusive Education

• mainstreaming
• dyslexia
• ADHD
• gifted