Severe learning difficulties (SLD)

English schools record a primary type of need for every child on SEN support SEN support The everyday help a school in England puts in place for a child with special educational needs. It is based on what your child needs, not on having a diagnosis. Read the full definition of SEN support or with an EHC plan EHCP A legal document, used in England, that sets out a child's needs and the support they must get. It is for children who need more help than their school can give on its own. Read the full definition of EHCP , and learning difficulties are split into three: moderate (MLD), severe (SLD) and profound and multiple (PMLD). SLD means a child is likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum, often with associated difficulties in mobility and communication. PMLD means severe and complex learning difficulties together with a physical disability or sensory impairment.

These are current, live categories on English school records, not outdated labels. They describe the level of educational support a child needs. They are not a medical diagnosis, and they say nothing about what a child can achieve with the right help.

The categories come from England's SEND SEND SEND is England's word for children who need extra help to learn. The rest of the UK uses other words, and other rules. Read the full definition of SEND system, and the other UK nations record needs differently.