ABSTRACT
Over time, a number of frames of reference – that is, ways of looking at and interpreting what is around us – have been developed and become important in the world of special educational needs (SEN). It is important to recognise these and have a grasp of how they are used in order to understand SEN policy, practice and provision. This chapter includes a discussion of frames of reference that are very commonly used in schools in relation to SEN, children’s learning and behaviour. It also includes a brief discussion of different ways in which the ‘needs’ of each child can be viewed in relation to the difficulty that is experienced and what they imply about the individual learners so described.
