Statutory assessment and EHCPs

Special Educational Needs (SEN) support helps children and young people who need extra help to learn and thrive. This page explains what SEN support is, how it works in schools and settings, and the steps involved in getting the right help for your child.

This page introduces the four main types of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), helping you understand each category and how they may affect a child’s learning and development.

The four main types of SEND are:

• communication and interaction
• cognition and learning
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)
• physical and/or sensory needs

Communication and interaction

Children and young people with communication and interaction difficulties may have difficulty: