SENDCo — Professional Reading List
Professional books every primary SENDCo should have on the shelf — covering autism, ADHD, dyslexia, trauma-informed practice, EHCP writing, and parent partnership. Calibrated for the SENDCo who has 15 minutes a week to read.
Preview
Page count: 3. Print-ready PDF — letter / A4 friendly. Click image to see all pages.
Learning objective
Provide SENDCos with a curated professional reading list across the key areas of the role — practical, research-grounded, and selective.
About this resource
- Subject: SEND & Inclusion
- Type: Fact File
- Grade levels: Pre-Kindergarten (ages 3-4, ≈ Nursery), Kindergarten (ages 4-6, ≈ Reception / Y1), Grade 1 (ages 6-7, ≈ Year 2), Grade 2 (ages 7-8, ≈ Year 3), Grade 3 (ages 8-9, ≈ Year 4), Grade 4 (ages 9-10, ≈ Year 5), Grade 5 (ages 10-11, ≈ Year 6), Grade 6 (ages 11-12, ≈ Year 7)
- Pages: 3
- Date added: 2026-11-11
- Credit: Qualified primary teacher
Professional reading for SENDCos
Convenience links to Amazon. Many are available cheaper via library services or your subject association.
Foundational — start here
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The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome — Tony Attwood
Most cited single book on autism in primary -
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The Body Keeps the Score — Bessel van der Kolk
Trauma essentials — foundational -
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ADHD 2.0 — Edward Hallowell
Updated ADHD research
Autism — practical
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Autism in the Primary Classroom — Luke Beardon
Practical, calm — UK-specific -
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How to Support Children with Autism Spectrum Conditions — Lynn McCann
Strategy-rich, classroom-focused
ADHD
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder — Geoff Kewley
Clinical but accessible -
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Taking Charge of ADHD — Russell Barkley
For parents and teachers
Dyslexia and SpLD
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Dyslexia: A Very Short Introduction — Margaret Snowling
Concise, accessible, research-grounded -
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The Dyslexia Debate — Rod Nicolson
What dyslexia is and isn't
Trauma and emotional needs
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What About Me? — Louise Bomber
Trauma-informed practice in schools -
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When the Body Says No — Gabor Maté
How trauma manifests
Parent partnership and EHCPs
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Effective SENCO: Meeting the Challenge of Leading SEND — Various
Operational SENDCo guidance -
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The SENCO Handbook — Anita Devi
UK-specific, updated
Disclosure: Links above go to Amazon. LessonKind may earn a small commission if you buy via these links — at no extra cost to you. We only link to books and items we already recommend in our resources. We are not paid by Amazon to recommend specific titles.
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