The four broad areas of need

Children with communication and interaction needs, including autism, may have difficulty in:

• attention and listening,
• expressive language,
• understanding language,
• interacting with others and the world around them.

Some children with C&I differences will have had their needs identified at a very early age and may already be receiving support. For many children needs may not become apparent until they enter a group setting when their difficulties begin to impact on learning. Children need help to acquire language skills in order to develop their thinking as well as their ability to communicate. 

Needs in other areas can lead to and compound communication and interaction needs, for example a hearing loss or difficulties with attachment can impact on the development of communication skills; difficulties in other areas for example learning needs, social and emotional needs can be the result of unmet C&I needs. Look across descriptors for all relevant areas of need to make sure that support is tailored appropriately. 

Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) cover the whole ability range. They find it more difficult to communicate with others. They may have difficulties with:

• fluency,
• forming sounds, words or sentences (expressive language) that impacts upon their ability to produce spoken or written language,
• understanding spoken language that they hear or read (receptive language),
• understanding, using and/or remembering words that they want to use. 

It may be a combination of these needs. 

• Learners on the autism spectrum cover the whole ability range. It is called a spectrum difference as it affects everyone differently. Although no two children with autism are the same, individuals may have differences in the following key areas:
• Interacting - differences in understanding social behaviour and the thoughts and feelings of others, which impacts on the development of relationships and friendships.
• Communication - differences in expressing, understanding and processing language. Good verbal language skills may mask a deeper level of misunderstanding.
• Processing Information - Differences in planning, organisation, predicting, managing transitions and generalising skills.
• Emotional Regulation – some children will need to be taught specific strategies to help them to manage strong feelings
• Some children may focus on familiar activities as a source of reassurance, rather than showing a wider range of interests.
• Sensory Processing - differences in perceiving sensory information. Hypo (low sensitivity), hyper (high sensitivity), touch, sight, hearing, smell, taste, vestibular inner ear (balance) and proprioceptive (body awareness) can cause distress or discomfort.

English as an Additional Language (EAL) is not in itself a special educational need but it can be the case that a child who speaks English as an additional language may also have special educational needs. The approach to supporting all children with EAL is set out in Guidance for Early Years practitioners on supporting children learning English as an Additional Language (EAL). (oxfordshire.gov.uk)  Used alongside the descriptors this will help you to decide whether a child’s language competence should be giving rise for concern.

Includes children on the autism spectrum (ASC) or with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and all children and young people who have difficulty in communicating with others. This could either be because they have difficulty saying what they want, understanding what is being said to them, or they do not understand the social rules of communication. 

Children and young people with autism are likely to have particular difficulties with social interaction. They may also experience difficulties with language, communication and imagination, which can impact on how they relate to others.

Includes children on the autism spectrum (ASC) or with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and all children and young people who have difficulty in communicating with others. This could either be because they have difficulty saying what they want, understanding what is being said to them, or they do not understand the social rules of communication. 

Children and young people with autism are likely to have particular difficulties with social interaction. They may also experience difficulties with language, communication and imagination, which can impact on how they relate to others.

Communication and Interaction needs (C&I) in the Early Years +

Support for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), where children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and communication, through to profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), where children are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment. 

Learning Difficulties (LD)

Children and young people with learning difficulties will learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. It is often associated with speech and language delay.

Some children with learning difficulties, particularly those with severe or profound and multiple difficulties, will have had their needs identified at an early age and may already have received support. For many children needs may not become apparent until the child enters a group setting for the first time.

Needs in other areas can lead to learning needs, for example an unmet hearing need may impact on the child/young person ’s ability to learn at the same rate as his/her peers. Conversely unmet learning needs may impact on social development and emotional wellbeing. Look across descriptors for all relevant areas of need to make sure that support is tailored appropriately. It is helpful to consider the child’s stage of learning rather than age.

Literacy and maths 

Some children will have general difficulties with cognition and learning.  Others may only have difficulties in specific areas.

Difficulties with literacy are unlikely to be fully observable until a child begins to engage with print and starts to become a reader. However, skills around sequencing, working memory, auditory processing and visual discrimination are needed for literacy and if these are delayed for any reason, then learning to read and write may be more difficult. 

Similarly, there are early skills that children need to make good progress in maths.  Poor language skills also impact on a child’s ability to learn to read and comprehend or to acquire mathematical knowledge. Refer to the Communication and Interaction descriptors if a child’s language appears delayed.

It’s important to identify difficulties early, so that children can be supported in these key areas in order to ensure needs are addressed as soon as possible.

Includes learning difficulties where children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers even with appropriate support.

Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including: 

• moderate learning difficulties (MLD)
• severe learning difficulties (SLD), where children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and communication
• profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), where children are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment
• specific learning difficulties (SpLD) which affect one or more specific aspects of learning. This encompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and developmental co-ordination disorder.

Includes learning difficulties where children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers even with appropriate support.

Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including: 

• moderate learning difficulties (MLD)
• severe learning difficulties (SLD), where children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and communication
• profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), where children are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment
• specific learning difficulties (SpLD) which affect one or more specific aspects of learning. This encompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and developmental co-ordination disorder.

Cognition and Learning needs (C&L) in the Early Years +

Children with communication and interaction needs, including autism, may have difficulty in:

• attention and listening,
• expressive language,
• understanding language,
• interacting with others and the world around them.

Some children with C&I differences will have had their needs identified at a very early age and may already be receiving support. For many children needs may not become apparent until they enter a group setting when their difficulties begin to impact on learning. Children need help to acquire language skills in order to develop their thinking as well as their ability to communicate. 

Needs in other areas can lead to and compound communication and interaction needs, for example a hearing loss or difficulties with attachment can impact on the development of communication skills; difficulties in other areas for example learning needs, social and emotional needs can be the result of unmet C&I needs. Look across descriptors for all relevant areas of need to make sure that support is tailored appropriately. 

Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) cover the whole ability range. They find it more difficult to communicate with others. They may have difficulties with:

• fluency,
• forming sounds, words or sentences (expressive language) that impacts upon their ability to produce spoken or written language,
• understanding spoken language that they hear or read (receptive language),
• understanding, using and/or remembering words that they want to use. 

It may be a combination of these needs. 

• Learners on the autism spectrum cover the whole ability range. It is called a spectrum difference as it affects everyone differently. Although no two children with autism are the same, individuals may have differences in the following key areas:
• Interacting - differences in understanding social behaviour and the thoughts and feelings of others, which impacts on the development of relationships and friendships.
• Communication - differences in expressing, understanding and processing language. Good verbal language skills may mask a deeper level of misunderstanding.
• Processing Information - Differences in planning, organisation, predicting, managing transitions and generalising skills.
• Emotional Regulation – some children will need to be taught specific strategies to help them to manage strong feelings
• Some children may focus on familiar activities as a source of reassurance, rather than showing a wider range of interests.
• Sensory Processing - differences in perceiving sensory information. Hypo (low sensitivity), hyper (high sensitivity), touch, sight, hearing, smell, taste, vestibular inner ear (balance) and proprioceptive (body awareness) can cause distress or discomfort.

English as an Additional Language (EAL) is not in itself a special educational need but it can be the case that a child who speaks English as an additional language may also have special educational needs. The approach to supporting all children with EAL is set out in Guidance for Early Years practitioners on supporting children learning English as an Additional Language (EAL). (oxfordshire.gov.uk)  Used alongside the descriptors this will help you to decide whether a child’s language competence should be giving rise for concern.

Includes becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harm, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. 

Other children and young people may have disorders such as ADHD-HI hyperactive/impulsive type, ADHD-I inattentive/distractable type or ADHD-C combined type or attachment disorder. Behaviours should be explored as communication and could be a result of an unidentified/unmet communication and interaction or learning need.

Includes becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harm, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. 

Other children and young people may have disorders such as ADHD-HI hyperactive/impulsive type, ADHD-I inattentive/distractable type or ADHD-C combined type or attachment disorder. Behaviours should be explored as communication and could be a result of an unidentified/unmet communication and interaction or learning need.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs (SEMH) in the Early Years  +

Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time. Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing loss (HL) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning, or habilitation support. Children and young people with an MSI have a combination of permanent vision impairment and hearing loss. 

Some children and young people with a physical disability (PD) require additional ongoing support and equipment to access all the opportunities available to their peers. 

Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties may fluctuate over time. 

Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing loss/deafness (HL) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning, or habilitation support. 

Children and young people with an MSI have a combination of permanent vision and hearing difficulties. Some children and young people with a physical disability (PD) require additional ongoing support and equipment to access all the opportunities available to their peers.

Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties may fluctuate over time. 

Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing loss/deafness (HL) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning, or habilitation support. 

Children and young people with an MSI have a combination of permanent vision and hearing difficulties. Some children and young people with a physical disability (PD) require additional ongoing support and equipment to access all the opportunities available to their peers.

Sensory and/or Physical in the Early Years +

The Education Endowment Foundation guidance report Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools outlines how school staff should build an ongoing, holistic understanding of pupils and their needs.