ABSTRACT
The introduction in the UK of the term 'special educational need' (SEN) is widely attributed to the Warnock Report of 1978. The primary aims of the report were to promote a positive approach to the educational development of children with special needs and to recognise that children with such needs should have the educational goals of independence, enjoyment and understanding in common with all children, irrespective of their abilities or disabilities. The ideological frameworks used to inform people's understanding, educational practice and provision for pupils with SEN each offer different perspectives but also have their limitations. The social model offers the view that disability is a result of physical, organisational and attitudinal barriers within society. The recent development of an 'affirmative model' of disability aims to extend the social model by incorporating the lived experiences of disabled people with the premise that disabled people should have control of their lives.
