Policies give parents powerful lobbying abilities and rights over appeals concerning their children's needs. While there were caveats, parents were given a decent amount of authority with the Education Act of 1980 and subsequent amendment in 1981. Power is also given to professionals, namely educational psychologists, who are able to use their professional and bureaucratic positions to determine which children have SEN and should receive the provisions. 

Individual Needs Approach

Children were given greater rights over their own educational decisions and concerns. Though, policies still highlighted the dominance of bureaucratic and professional systems in decision-making and management. There is an emphasis on the duty of the local administration in particular to follow the instructions of the national authorities. 

Systems Approach

The anti-discrimination/civil rights approach focused on the legal framework and shifts focus away from the professional and bureaucratic dominion of law and towards legislation focused on upholding rights. Though, there still appears to be setbacks concerning case law's considerations of disability distinction.

Anti-Discrimination/Civil Rights Approach

Different typologies and models such as those of Kirp and Hill and Hupe were applied in the analysis of special needs education policies. From the Scottish perspective, there are three main approaches, that overlap and appear to all aim toward inclusion: individualized, systems, and anti-discrimination approaches.

University of Notre Dame

Children with special education needs (SEN) are catered to via an inclusion approach, with certain kids also receive “special” education when necessary. The discourse branched out to also address the issue of providing SEN to children considered disruptive, with the government taking steps to reduce lost class days due to school exclusion. Scotland and the rest of the UK follow the multi-track approach, with SEN being a topic of constant change and debate.

Special Needs Education Policies in Scotland

The multi-track approach to special needs education involves a mix of both mainstream and special education. EADSNE countries who follow this are the UK, France, Denmark.

Multi-Track Approach

Tisdall, E. K., &amp; Riddell, S. (2006). Policies on special needs education: Competing strategies and discourses. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 21(4), 363–379. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856250600956154 

Policies on special needs education: Competing strategies and discourses.

Three Main Special Needs Education Approaches of the EADSNE

The analysis of special needs education policies touches on the topics of education as well provides a study on governance and public policy. It allows for the development of typologies. As result, there is also a shift of focus from government to governance, in which attention is given to people other than the “centre”. 

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