1.1 Defining terms

The first activity gives you the opportunity to test your understanding of some of the terminology used when describing a child’s disability or condition. All the definitions are taken from The National Autistic Society (NAS) or the British Council websites.

Activity 1

Timing: Allow about 10 minutes

Match the following terms with their correct definition.

Two lists follow, match one item from the first with one item from the second. Each item can only be matched once. There are 6 items in each list.

  1. Dyslexia

  2. ADHD

  3. Dyspraxia

  4. Autism

  5. EAL learner

  6. Asperger syndrome

Match each of the previous list items with an item from the following list:

  • a.An overarching term used to refer to all conditions on the autism spectrum (NAS)

  • b.A specific learning difficulty which mainly affects the development of literacy and language-related skills (NAS)

  • c.An immaturity in the way the brain processes information resulting in problems of perception, language and thought (NAS)

  • d.A person with this condition has difficulties with social communication, social interaction and social imagination (NAS)

  • e.A condition that makes a person inattentive, impulsive and hyperactive (NAS)

  • f.Anyone who has been exposed to a language other than English during early childhood (British Council)

The correct answers are:
  • 1 = b,
  • 2 = e,
  • 3 = c,
  • 4 = a,
  • 5 = f,
  • 6 = d

Children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.

The SEN Code of Practice for Wales provides practical advice to Local Education Authorities, maintained schools, early years settings and others on carrying out their statutory duties to identify, assess and make provision for children’s special educational needs.

The code of practice provides practical advice to local authorities (LAs), maintained schools and early years settings.

It helps them to carry out their statutory duties, identify, assess and make provision for children’s special educational needs (SEN). It became effective on 1 April 2002 and can be found on the Welsh Government website:

SEN code of practice for Scotland

This next part explains the four areas of special educational needs and the legal definition of ‘disability’.

1 What does SEND mean?

Special educational needs (SEN)