Meet the characters we follow throughout this course

We will explore the nature of SEND and how needs can be met through four case studies.

These are four fictional individuals, and their profiles reflect the richness and complexity of the lives of individuals with SEND needs. They will be our companions through this short course as a means of reflecting on and bringing to life SEND needs and lived experiences.

Case study 1

George is 8 and lives with his parents, two siblings, a dog and three goldfish. He loves acting and dancing and enjoys going for walks with his family in the local park. He attends his local primary school, where he is sociable and popular with his classmates and plays on the football team.

George has a diagnosis of Down’s syndrome, and it takes him longer to learn than many of his classmates, so he is supported in class by a 1:1 classroom assistant. George wears glasses. Like many individuals with Down’s syndrome, he has difficulties with his eyesight. In addition, like all people with Down’s, even when he is wearing his glasses, George has poor visual acuity, meaning that his world lacks fine details and sharp contrasts.

However, he is a strong visual learner and likes to learn from visual or concrete practice materials. His ambition is to be a professional footballer or actor.

Case study 2

Vinita is 10 and lives in a city in the North of England with her family and enjoys being part of a lively family and community. She often goes to the park with her siblings to feed the ducks, or to the cinema to watch her favourite films with friends from the local area.

She has cerebral palsy, which affects her motor coordination, and epilepsy, which is common in individuals with cerebral palsy. This can make speaking and eating challenging, and she is a wheelchair user. She attends a specialist school in her city where her needs can be met through the work of specialist teaching staff and medical support teams.

Her great hero and role model is the comic, actress and scriptwriter Rosie Jones, and she would love to write and perform in comedy like Rosie does.

Case study 3

Holly is in her teens and attends her local secondary school. She is a very active member of a number of sports clubs and teams and excels in creative subjects such as art and design.

Although she engages actively in class discussions and can understand verbal explanations well, she struggles to formulate her thoughts in writing, often confusing the order of letters in words. She has recently received a diagnosis of dyslexia and has additional time in written exams, as well as the support of a reader and scribe. She is also seeking an ADHD assessment as she has difficulties with managing her time and listening in class, although never in PE.

She would love to work in the world of sport and is planning to apply for Sport Science courses at university.

Case study 4

Akia is 15 and lives with their mum, sister and a cat. They attend a resourced provision attached to a mainstream secondary school in their city with a group of other young people who have autism and complex communication difficulties.

Akia has limited verbal communication, so they use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). They are great with technology, so they use their iPad to meet friends online and make videos of their life and hobbies, which they share with their friends and family.

They would like to work in the technology sector and love manga and anime.