Additional Support Needs
A child or young person is said to have additional support needs (ASN) if they need additional support with their education. Additional support can mean any kind of educational provision that is more than, or very different from, the education that is normally provided in mainstream schools.
A child or young person may need additional support for a number of different reasons:
- Difficulties with mainstream approaches to learning
- Disability or health needs, such as motor or sensory impairment, learning difficulties or autistic spectrum disorder
- Family circumstances such as young people who are carers or parents
Our ASN website provides information on the services and support that are available for children and young people who have additional support needs.
Support manual
- Support Manual Part 1: Legislative background and meeting learners’ needs
- Support Manual Part 2: Effective leadership, partnership, roles, responsibilities, identification and assessment of ASN
- Support Manual Part 3: Support Manual 2 ensuring entitlement of children and young people with significant and complex needs
- Planning for learning - planning documentation with supporting guidance
- Policies and guidance - list of policy guidance documents for meeting learner's needs
- ASN support directory provides a fast and reliable way to access information, help and support from a wide range of organisations
Peripatetic education services
- Sensory support service provides advice and support to children and young people with hearing impairment and vision impairment
- English as an additional language provides advice and support to children whom English is not their first language
- ASPECTS is a specialist technology service providing technical support to children at stage 2 or 3 intervention
- Educational psychology service provides advice and support to schools, for Additional Support Needs and targeted levels
Literacy, dyslexia and autism-friendly schools
- Literacy and dyslexia - Aberdeenshire schools are equipped to support children with literacy and dyslexia needs
- Autism - autism friendly schools offer support to children on the spectrum
- Nurture - Aberdeenshire schools use nurturing approaches to meet the social and emotional needs of their children and young people
Additional guidance
Gypsy or travellers
The support that is available for Gypsy or traveller children and young people should they settle in Aberdeenshire. There's also the hand-held educational record (PDF 3.23MB) which they can take with them if they move between schools.
Promoting positive relationships
Read about our strategies promoting positive relationships (PDF 3.3MB) based on mutual respect, responsibility and tolerance within a supported learning environment.
Children with selective mutism
To find out more read: