ABSTRACT
Empowerment and advocacy for Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)
This chapter focuses on the importance of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to be empowered and to have a voice in matters which affect them. The chapter discusses the role of policy from The Warnock Review until current times and how this encourages practitioners to view every child as being unique.
It goes onto discuss the importance of the multi-contested issue of inclusion and the dilemmas that this can bring to practitioners when multi-agency teams may have very different priorities for young children with SEND and discusses the differences between equity and equality and how these can impact children with SEND.
Finally, the chapter discusses some of the many augmentative alternative communication aids that can be introduced to children in order for them to have a voice and may encourage them to be empowered by eventually communicating independently.
