The four broad areas of need from the Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years (Department for Education and Department of Health, 2015). Most learners present with overlapping needs across more than one area; the framework helps describe a learner profile rather than label a person.
These pages explain how NEO’s curriculum and delivery design have been shaped with each profile in mind. They are written for parents, carers, commissioners and SENCOs deciding whether NEO is right for a particular young person.
- Communication and Interaction — speech, language and communication needs (SLCN); autism spectrum conditions (ASC)
- Cognition and Learning — specific learning difficulties (SpLD) including dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia; moderate, severe or profound learning difficulties (MLD / SLD / PMLD)
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health — anxiety, depression, attachment, ADHD; emotionally-based school non-attendance (EBSNA)
- Sensory and Physical — vision impairment, hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability
A note on labels. NEO does not require a diagnosis or EHCP for entry. The Areas of Need framework is used here to talk about design fit — what NEO has been built to support — not to gatekeep access. Decisions about provision are always taken in partnership with the family and the commissioning Local Authority.
A node tagged [[need/social-emotional-mental-health]] indicates that the way a particular outcome is taught at NEO has been designed with SEMH needs in mind. The same outcome can carry multiple Need tags — most do.