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Archives September 24, 2023

Museums Can Help Children With Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

SEND stands for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

SEND stands for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities  will have difficulties learning at some point and may need extra help from teachers in school. However if your child has special educational needs and disabilities, which is often shortened to SEND, their challenges are more significant and long term, making it harder for them to learn than other children of their age.

“Inclusive Outdoor Play: Tailoring Playground Equipment for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND

Some children will be identified with SEN in their early years, others later in life as their needs become apparent or when they enter certain stages of education. All local areas will have a system in place for identifying and supporting children with SEN. This is set out in the Children and Families Act 2014, which also gives guidance to health and social care, schools and local authorities. If a child has SEN they will be placed on the SEND register (also known as an Education, Health and Care Plan or EHCP).

Children with SEND have their own Individual Educational Plans which outline measurable targets, the provision that is being undertaken to support them at school and how they are progressing. These are reviewed each term and new targets will be set. Parents/carers will be invited to meetings with their child’s teacher and SEN co-ordinator to discuss their progress and any concerns they may have. These meetings will also be an opportunity for parents/carers to share what works well at home and in school so that similar strategies can be used in both environments.

In the UK there are approximately 1.4 million children and young people with SEND, which is about 1 in every classroom. Most can succeed in mainstream schools and colleges with a little extra help. Museums can make a big difference to the lives of these families by offering SEND friendly activities. The good news is that much of this work is intuitive and affordable for even the smallest museums.