Special Education in the United Kingdom

The following is an excerpt from the Department of Education in the United Kingdom
retrieved from
http://www.european-agency.org/country-information/united-kingdom-england/national-overview/identification-of-special-educational-needs

English as an additional language, giftedness and high ability are not included within the definition of special educational needs.

The Equality Act 2010, defines a disabled person as 'someone who has a physical or mental The Education Act 1996, states that a child has special educational needs ‘if he has a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for him’. Such provision is required when a child:

• has significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of his/her age; or
• has a disability which either prevents or hinders him or her from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided in schools, within the area of the local authority concerned, for children of his/her age; or
• is under the age of five years and is, or would be likely to fall within either of the above paragraphs when over that age, if special educational provision were not made for him/her.

impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities'.

I was very surprised by the recentness of the Equality Act. That was last year! Seems like they were a little late in passing this reform. The Special Education Act was in 1996. That was only 15 years ago! The guidelines also seem very broad. Interesting!