Mind your language: why the language used to describe children’s SEMH needs matters

ABSTRACT

There are well-documented situational factors which correspond to risks of exclusion and mental health difficulties. However, in education policy, factors relating to exclusion and mental health needs are often attributed to dispositional, within-person factors rather than situational factors, or even wider systemic factors which may contribute to the situations in which difficulties occur. There is also a great deal of evidence that the language of description has a significant impact on how issues are perceived and responded to. The following study aimed to explore the language used to describe concerns about children and young people’s social, emotional and mental health needs on referral forms into a Local Authority SEND Support service. Thematic analysis identified a variation in how needs were described, including within themes of ‘What?’ the behaviour was, ‘Why?’ it was occurring and a ‘So What?’ factor in terms of implications. The following article concludes that the language used to describe behaviours causing concern can have an important impact on how the behaviours are framed, and therefore responded to, and argues for avoidance of language which predisposes within-person accounts of behaviours at the expense of the situational and systemic interpretations which need addressing in order to facilitate inclusive responses.

KEYWORDS:

• Exclusion
• SEMH needs
• language
• systemic approaches
• behaviour
• inclusion

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 Accident and Emergency urgent care hospital departments.

2 Children are identified as ‘Child in Need’ by Section 17 of the UK Children Act 1989 when their needs are determined by a Local Authority to require additional support in order to safeguard their overall welfare including their health and development.

3 The acronym, NEET, refers to people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training.

4 A national accountability system for pupil progress in UK secondary schools introduced in 2016.

5 An administrative body of UK local government which provides support services to schools.

6 Special Educational Needs Coordinator.

7 Children living in the Care system.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Joanna Stanbridge

Dr Joanna Stanbridge is a Senior Educational Psychologist at Cambridgeshire County Council.

Emma Mercer

Emma Mercer is a Doctoral Trainee Educational Psychologist completing her training at the University of Sheffield.