So, what is it then; Special Need, SEMH, both or none? An assessment framework to value their interplay.

The label Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) can have a variety of meanings given the different types of need that exist. In the UK, one category of SEND is social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) difficulties.  Children identified with one or more SEND can also struggle with their mental health which sometimes can be caused by SEND. However, more recent research suggests that there are also cases where SEMH needs might be mistakenly identified as another Special Need (e.g., ADHD). A review of the literature on processes used to identify SEMH might shed light on ways we might be able to distinguish between SEND and SEMH. The present paper meets this need by exploring three assessment models used to identify SEMH. By taking an interactionist perspective of disability we focus on personal and environmental factors that might lead professionals to start thinking about SEMH in early years contexts (birth – 5 years).  We draw our attention to the relationship building between practitioners and children and conclude that embedding relational approaches during SEMH assessments and within the broader identification practices for SEND, supports the distinction between SEND and SEMH labels when this is needed.