ADDITIONAL SUPPORT NEEDS
DEFINITION
All children and young people need support to help them learn. Through a range of universal supports, schools are able to meet a diverse range of children and young people’s needs without additional support. Some children and young people will require support that is in addition or different to that received by children and young people of the same age to ensure they benefit from education. This would be identified as an additional support need (ASN) and could be short-, medium- or long-term.
ASSESSMENT OF ADDITIONAL SUPPORT NEEDS
Key staff within the school or other agencies and services may undertake a range of assessment to identify an additional support need. Parents and carers can ask for their child to be assessed, and if the child or young person is deemed to have the capacity to do so, they can request this assessment themselves.
ASN FACTORS
The Education (Additional Support for Learning) Act (Scotland) 2004 defines an additional support need in four broad categories:
disability or health condition
learning environment
family circumstances
social and emotional factors
This includes a wide range of circumstances which can give rise to a child or young person needing additional support for learning.
TARGETTED SUPPORT
Where a child has an additional support need, this would be detailed in their Child’s Plan or My Plan which would be maintained by key colleagues within the school, either their Principal Teacher of Pupil Support, Principal Teacher of Communication Centre or Principal Teacher of Support for Learning. The Child’s Plan is normally reviewed within a twelve-month period or sooner if there are significant changes. This contains important information for all staff on any strategies or supports in place. If other agencies are involved in supports, the Team with the Family (TWF) meet to review and plan supports.
FURTHER RESOURCES
Parentzone Scotland on the Education Scotland website gives more information to help parents and carers understand additional support needs. This can be accessed using the following link:
Enquire is an independent advisory service for young people, parents, carers and families of young people with an additional support need. More information can be found using the following link:
Enquire – The Scottish advice service for additional support for learning
