Historical and political perspectives - Essay Example

, and it became clear that further action was necessary to ensure that the mandate to protect the rights and autonomy of disabled children was not impeding the realistic delivery of a personal understanding of their unique needs and potential. The CAF was one of several initiatives taken in response to widespread doubt regarding the efficacy of the Acts and provided a nationwide model of expectation and practice (Pithouse, 2006). Together, these two changes in national policy have turned the tide for the education of children with special educational needs.

The SEN Code of Practice 2001 recommended a graduated distribution of nationwide change in the areas of assessment and inclusion in the mainstream schools. Thereafter, with the emphasis on building bridges between schools, a firm foundation was laid for the CAF 2005. Specifically, the CAF 2005 established a database of information for ascertaining with the special needs of children and standardized related expectations and recommended practices (“Behaviour and Individual Differences”, 2010).

The function of CAF 2005 in addressing the shortcomings of the SEN 2001 Act was never explicitly acknowledged, but was rather a generalized reinforcement of a number of educational reforms. The official purposes focused upon children with an impaired “opportunity of achieving or maintaining a reasonable standard of health or development” (Pithouse, 2006, 201). Thus, by combining methodological recommendations for focus and economy, the CAF proposes educational change in a multi-faceted and complex manner (Pithouse, 2006).

From the above discussion, it is evident that the CAF 2005 was an incremental approach over the objectives established under the 2001 SEN act. While the SEN 2001 act provides legal rights to disabled students, the CAF 2005 focuses more on an integrated approach towards assessing the needs of children and young people. Thus, the latter facilitates a wholesome strategy towards reaching a wider