Telford and Wrekin SENDIASS understand that the correct provision and support for children with SEND in the Early Years is very important. Early identification and intervention can make a huge difference to both the child and their families's quality of life, whilst enabling them to achieve the best possible outcome not just in the in the near future but also later on in adulthood.

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The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2015) defines special educational needs as follows:

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“A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

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• Has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age,

• Has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream-post 16 institutions.”

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Children’s special educational needs are generally thought of in the following four broad areas of need and support:

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• Communication and Interaction;

• Cognition and Learning;

• Social, Emotional and Mental Health, and;

• Sensory and/or Physical needs

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A child under compulsory school age has special educational needs if he or she is likely to fall within the definition shown above when they reach compulsory school age, or would do so if special educational provision were not made available for them.