A child is said to have ‘additional support needs’ if they need more, or different, support to what is normally provided in schools or pre-schools to children of the same age. Children might need extra help to be able to take part in school or get the most from their education.

The Education (Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2004 (as amended 2009)  provides the legal framework for identifying and addressing the additional support needs of children and young people who face a barrier, or barriers, to learning.

The Act aims to ensure that all children and young people are provided with the necessary support to help them work towards achieving their full potential.

It also promotes collaborative working among all those who are supporting children and young people and sets out the rights of the children and young people and their parents and carers within the system.

Any child or young person may have ASN at any time.

• There are a wide range of factors which may lead to some children and young people having a need for additional support
• The law identifies 4 overlapping themes:
  • Learning environment
  • Family circumstances
  • Disability or health need
  • Social or emotional factors

An additional support need may be for a short duration (weeks/months) or long-term (number of years).

Learning Environment

Barriers to a pupil’s:

• Learning
• Achievement
• Full participation in the life of the school

Created as a result of:

• The ethos
• Relationships
• Inflexible curricular arrangements
• Approaches to learning
• Inappropriate teaching that fails to take account of additional support needs

Family Circumstances

Progress at school is influenced by what happening at home such as:

• Home life disrupted
• Domestic abuse
• Parental alcohol or drug misuse
• Parental mental or physical health problems
• Armed Services families
• Imprisonment

N.B. All looked after children from the 2009 legislation states that all looked after children are considered to have ASN unless assessment finds support not needed.

Disability or Health Need

Issues relating to a disability or health need may mean additional support is required.

Examples include:

• Sensory impairment
• Autism spectrum
• Low birth rate
• Mental health (for the first time in legislation)
• Wellbeing issues such as anxiety, eating disorders, depression

Examples within Social and Emotional include

• Bullied or bullying
• Having been bereaved
• Experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) or discrimination
• Behavioural difficulties
• Risk of exclusion from school
• Offending behaviour

There are many reasons for children/young people requiring additional support from ASN legislation including:

• are being bullied
• are interrupted learners
• have barriers to learning as a result of a health need, such as foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)
• are looked after by a local authority or who have been adopted
• have a learning difficulty, such as dyslexia
• are living with parents who are abusing substances or parents who have mental health problems
• are on the child protection register
• are refugees
• are young carers

Inclusion on the list does not mean that additional support will be automatically necessary.

• A need for additional support does not imply a child/young person lacks abilities or skills e.g. English as an Additional Language, highly able learners, Gypsy/traveller
• It is preferable to ensure supports are offered in ways that are well integrated with everyday practice and do not single out the child/young person requiring additional support

A ‘Code Of Practice’ was produced to help professionals working with Children/young people and their families to work together detailing the requirements needed to put this law into practice.