Related links

What do we know about military children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND)?

The needs of military children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is emerging as an important area for understanding potential challenges and needs for support in the form of enhanced policies and service provision for military families.

Read more in an article from the Forces in Mind Trust Research Centre.

“Living in our SEND Shoes”: New animations

A set of six animations was created by families taking part in the Garrison Assist Plus (GAP+) Project to raise awareness of the challenges faced by Armed Forces families with SEND children.

View the animations:

  1. Introduction
  2. Posting moves (20 minutes)
  3. Relationships (9 minutes)
  4. Parental separation: Operational deployment, weekending and divorce (19 minutes)
  5. Language, labels and the challenge of getting a diagnosis (15 minutes)
  6. Trauma and burnout (9 minutes)

“A Game of Snakes and Ladders”

This new report investigates the experiences of children from Armed Forces families with Additional Support Needs (ASN) who live in Scotland or are moving to Scotland. The research was a collaboration between the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) and the Centre for Military Research, education and Public Engagement (ENU) with Edinburgh Napier University.

“Camouflaged in the Education system”

Read the report published on 16th March, 2026, by the Scottish Children’s Commissioner and Forces Children Scotland.

“Living in our Shoes Revisited – Phase 1 report”

Living in our shoes Revisited is a study of changes and progress since the publication of the groundbreaking “Living in our Shoes” report (2020). It is looking at the 110 recommendations from the earlier report, to establish progress made towards better meeting the needs of the Armed Forces community. The study is being carried out by Professor Jan Walker OBE from Newcastle University and Dr Gabriela Misca from the University of Birmingham. The Phase 1 report was published in January 2026.