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This is a (printer friendly) extract from The Contact a Family website, which is one of the leading information resources for families of disabled children and those who work with them. The full online version of this page can be found at
http://www.cafamily.org.uk/families/rightsandentitlements/education.html
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Education

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As a parent of a child with additional needs, education may be one of your key concerns. Parents naturally have worries and anxieties about schooling, including whether a special school or mainstream education is the best option.

The Education Act 1996 legally defines children with SEN as children who have a considerably greater difficulty in learning than others the same age. It also includes children who cannot use the educational facilities which other children of a similar age use because of their disability. Children under school age, who would fall into either category without extra help, are also included. The Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Disability Act 2001 brought access to education within the remit of the Disability Discrimination Act, making it unlawful for education providers to discriminate against disabled pupils, students and adult learners.

The educational framework for supporting children and young people with additional needs in Scotland is the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. Please phone the helpline if you would like details about your entitlements.

England and Wales each has their own Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs, as does Northern Ireland, which is also governed by separate legislation.

Contact a Family publishes a guide for parents on education issues.

Click on the link below to hear an interview with two of Contact a Family's helpline advisers. We provide information about different levels of support for children with special educational needs (SEN) and what you can do if you are not happy with the support your child gets. If you need further clarification of any of the points discussed call the Contact a Family freephone helpline.

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