Where are specific learning difficulties in the SEND reforms? with Louise Selby and Janet Goring

The SEND reforms have generated a lot of discussion – but one significant gap has gone largely unnoticed. Where do specific learning difficulties fit in?

Dale is joined by Louise Selby, a dyslexia specialist, and Janet Goring, an SpLD specialist, for a lively and at times eye-opening conversation about what the shift from four broad areas of need to five areas of development could mean for children with SpLD.

Together, they explore:

• Why cognition and learning has disappeared from the new framework – and why this is a significant oversight.
• Why dyslexia, dyscalculia, and SpLD maths don't fit neatly into what remains.
• Whether a stronger universal offer can really compensate for the absence of a dedicated cognition and learning category.
• The important distinction between a diagnosis that unlocks funding and one that tells a child: this is not your fault.
• Why quiet children who are struggling but not disruptive have always been at risk of being overlooked – and why the new framework may make this worse.

Louise has worked in a number of SEND settings, more recently for 11 years in the advisory service for Specific Learning Difficulties at Hertfordshire Local Authority, before becoming freelance.

Louise's first book, Morph Mastery, a Morphological Intervention for Reading, Spelling and Vocabulary, was published in 2021 by Speechmark (Routledge) in 2021. Her recent two books, "All About Dyslexia, a practical guide for primary/secondary teachers" were published in December 2024 with the same publisher, and her 4th book, Morph Mastery for Small Groups, is in the pipeline.

Louise's passion is in enabling, equipping and empowering staff in schools at grass roots level to meet learners' needs.

Janet Goring worked as a teacher for 25 years, firstly as a primary classroom teacher and Advanced skills teacher for Maths and assessment, before training as a specialist SpLD teacher/assessor and completing a Masters with a focus on supporting number sense through games.

She chaired the SASC (SpLD Assessment Committee) Working Group on Dyscalculia and Maths Difficulties which produced the 2025 guidance on the assessment of Maths Difficulties and Dyscalculia.

Having retired as Manager of a local authority team of specialist Literacy and Numeracy teachers in 2023, she now focuses on training in maths difficulties for mainstream and specialist teachers.

Where are dyslexia and dyscalculia in the 2026 SEND Reforms?

• B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk
• Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast
• Email Dale – dale@bsquared.co.uk
• Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe

We have been involved with Special Educational Needs for over 25 years, helping show the small steps of progress pupils with SEND make. B Squared has worked with thousands of schools, we understand the challenges professionals working in SEND face. We wanted a way to support these hardworking professionals - which is why we launched The SENDcast! Click the button below to find out more about how B Squared can help improve assessment for pupils with SEND in your school.