As many as one in five children may at some time need extra help with their education, but does this mean that they have special educational needs?

 

Antonia Chitty and Victoria Dawson's informative book brings together the facts on special educational needs, looking in detail at the different types of additional needs and how parents and carers can cope with them in daily life. It helps you get through the system and gain support, provides ideas on how to handle behavioural difficulties at home and school and how to get the best education for your child's needs.

Different types of SEN are explained and there are useful checklists to help you look at your child's needs and behaviour and to start the diagnosis process.

 

Best Bear member Bea reviewed this book for us "My daughter has learning difficulties and is due to start school next year, so the timing of this book could not have been more perfect. I am just starting the statementing process for her, and this book has helped me understand more about the support that will be available at school and the what will be included in her statement. I also really liked the checklists throughout the book which are useful for diagnosing specific problems and for writing notes/reports about her development. I also felt that there were lots of practical ideas and suggestions of things I can be doing at home to help my daughter. The book looks at a wide range of educational needs including autism, vision and hearing problems, dyslexia, dyspraxia and global developmental delay. It gives ideas of where you can go for additional help, support and information (12 pages of contacts at the back of the book!) together with details of how professionals such as Occupational Therapists and Speech Therapists can help. I think this book would be worthwhile reading whether you just have some concerns about your child's development or schooling, or whether you have a named diagnosis already. One to keep for future reference I think."