Beyond Diagnosis: Rethinking SEND Categorisation, Identification and Support
SAVE THE DATE Tuesday 12 January 2027
1:00 pm to 4:30 pm Refreshments from 12.30pm onwards
St Alban’s Church Hall, Holborn, London, EC1N 7RD
Please join us for an afternoon seminar exploring current debates about the role of categorisation and diagnosis within Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) policy and practice. The seminar will bring together leading researchers, policymakers, parents, charities and practitioners to examine emerging approaches that seek to move beyond diagnosis-led systems towards models that focus more directly on children’s strengths, needs and educational participation.
Contributors will consider developments in England and internationally, including needs-based approaches, the potential contribution of frameworks such as the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), and lessons from policy and practice in other jurisdictions. The event will provide opportunities for discussion and debate about how education systems should better access to support, equitable resource allocation and inclusive practice while reducing unnecessary reliance on diagnostic labels.
Contributors include:
Professor Susana Castro-Kemp
Professor Karen Guldberg
Dr Cathryn Knight
Amanda Watkins
The seminar will conclude with facilitated discussion and plenary sessions, providing participants with an opportunity to reflect on future directions for SEND policy, practice and research.
Further details and booking information will follow.
