Beyond One-size-fits-all: What The DfE’s Review Reveals About Effective SEND Support

The Department for Education has published a rapid evidence review on support for autistic children and pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs, in mainstream education.

Growing demand for effective support

The review(Opens in a new tab) reflects the growing need for effective support in schools. SEMH needs account for nearly a quarter of pupils receiving SEN support, and 33.6% of children with autism have Education, Health and Care Plans. 

No single intervention works for every child

A clear message from the review is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Interventions are most likely to work when they are matched to the pupil’s needs, age, communication profile and school context. Staff training, consistency and regular monitoring are also important.

The report also notes that much of the research looks at short-term gains, with less evidence on whether improvements last or transfer to other settings.

What does the evidence support?

• Physical activity and wellbeing approaches: Regular and sustained physical activity can help reduce behaviour difficulties help children to self-regulate. 
• Peer-mediated interventions: These can support social engagement, communication and peer interaction for autistic pupils, particularly in early years and primary settings. Outcomes are stronger when peers are well prepared and adults provide guidance and monitoring.
• Behavioural and classroom support strategies: Approaches such as activity schedules, visual timetables, check-in, check-out and daily behaviour report cards can support classroom behaviour, transitions and help children to complete tasks independently. They work best when targets are clear and staff use them consistently.
• Play-based approaches: These approaches can support communication, engagement, play skills and social interaction when they are built into everyday routines and matched to the pupil’s developmental stage and interests. This includes approaches such as JASPER, the Early Start Denver Model and LEGO therapy.
• Social skills interventions: Structured social skills programmes can improve communication, peer interaction and social engagement. However, improvements are often modest and focused on specific skills, with limited evidence on whether gains last over time.
• Social stories and video modelling: Social Stories may help some pupils understand social situations and expectations, but appear to work best alongside other support. Video modelling showed more encouraging results, particularly for social initiation, engagement and prosocial behaviour.
• Digital technology: Digital tools, including speech-generating devices, microswitches, memory aids, video prompting, virtual reality systems, and specialised software can help children to recognising emotions, respond appropriately in social situations, and reducr behaviours that interfere with interaction. 

Looking ahead

The findings align with the Department for Education’s broader direction of travel towards a more development-focused framework, recognising that difficulties with behaviour, social interaction and emotional regulation are often shaped by the relationship between a child and their environment. For schools, this means that successful inclusion is likely to depend as much on the design of the classroom experience, staff expertise and peer relationships as on any specific intervention programme.