Cognition and Learning

Children and young people with learning difficulties will learn at a slower pace than other children and may have greater difficulty than their peers in acquiring basic literacy or numeracy skills or in understanding concepts, even with appropriate differentiation.

Communication and Interaction

This is a term used to describe a young person’s ability to interact and communicate with their peers and other people.

Young people with difficulties in this area may also find the following a challenge:

• Forming sounds, words and sentences.
• Initiating and maintaining conversation.
• Processing and following verbal instructions.
• Expressing ideas, opinions and communicating wishes.
• Using the appropriate words and vocabulary.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health

This is a term used to describe a young person’s ability to cope emotionally and socially with situations that occur day to day.

Children and young people who have difficulties with their emotional and social development may have immature social skills and find it difficult to make and sustain healthy relationships.

Physical and Sensory

There is a wide range of sensory and physical difficulties that affect children and young people such as Visual Impairment, Hearing Impairment or Physical Disabilities.