These three issues play a vital part in the education and inclusion of children with SEN. Each issue offers various arguments into the way SEN education and provision is implemented . There are many positives and negatives within each process or phase. Issues that arise are: do special schools provide an appropriate, sufficient non-discriminative education for pupils with SEN, and what effect special schools have on the individual their families and an "inclusive" society.
Identifying and assessing educational needs is a statutory requirement for all children before they start school. The 1994 SEN code of practise provided guidance and expectations for the assessment of special educational needs. The main aims of the Code of Practise are to enable each individual child with special educational needs to access appropriate educational provision, to reach their full potential and to make a positive transition to adulthood. Identification of SEN should be carried out at the earliest possible opportunity. There are 5 stages of assessment which ultimately lead to the Local Education Authority (LEA) issuing a Statement of special educational needs. This statement is a legal document that identifies, monitors and reviews the individual needs of each person as well as recommending the most appropriate provision for their education. Each stage involves gathering information, assessing needs and referring information to the relevant person. Class teachers, School special educational needs coordinators (SENCO's), outside experts(educational psychologists, social workers, play workers, psychologists) and the LEA are all involved in producing a statement of SEN. Although a special educational needs statement is intended to be a positive move towards appropriate school provision, abuse of the statementing process by Parents wanting a better service for their child, and Schools working the system for budgetary reasons have damaged its reputation.