Resolving Disagreement in Special Educational Needs

Local Education Authorities and Dispute Resolution

Local Education Authorities are now obliged to put in place arrangements to try to settle disagreements over the provision for children with special educational needs. This practical book aims to help those charged with making these arrangements and those directly involved in the conciliation and mediation process.

While there is no right way to resolve disputes of this kind, the ultimate goal must be to reach a positive conclusion as quickly as possible for the benefit of the child involved. In this book, the authors look at a range of approaches and issues to achieve this such as:

Approaches and Issues in Dispute Resolution

how to plan disagreement resolution

skills and techniques for mediation

tools for training and self-assessment

the SEN tribunal

ethical and legal issues.

The book includes contributions from leading practitioners in special educational needs, law, mediation and conciliation. It is the ideal handbook for all those working in the area of special education needs, both in schools and for LEAs and other agencies.