This text explores the impact of local and national policy in the United Kingdom on the educational experiences of children and young people with special educational needs. It traces the ongoing reverberations of both the liberal thinking of the 1970s and the legislation of the 1980s, and looks forward to future developments in the 21st century. The chapters are drawn from both large-scale funded studies and smaller-scale research, covering topics across a range from the pre-school age group to post-school provision. The authors highlight the unexpected consequences of policy as well as their more predictable outcomes.