Abbreviation/Term

Meaning

ASD/ASC

Autistic spectrum disorder – no longer used by some professional due to the connotations of disorder. Some professionals e.g. speech and language therapist use autistic spectrum condition.

ADD/ADHD

Attention deficit disorder / attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

ALD

Annual review

This takes place once a year when a child has a EHCP in place.

CAF

Common assessment framework

CAMHS

Child and adolescent mental health services

CoP

Code of practice

CI

Communication and interaction

CL

Cognition and learning

CP

Child protection

DDA

Disability Discrimination Act

Development Delay

A delay in reaching the normal stages of development, for example sitting or talking.

Differentiated Curriculum

Children make progress at different rates and have different ways in which they learn best. Teachers take account of this when planning their lessons, organising the classroom and choosing books and materials. They are then able to choose from the range of available approaches and resources to make a selection which best fits the learning styles of a particular child or group of children. This is what is meant by a differentiated curriculum.

Education, Health and Care Assessment

A single, integrated assessment which replaces the current assessment process. The assessment process should be carried out in a ‘timely’ manner and it should not take longer than 20 weeks to issue an EHC Plan.

EHCP

Education and health care plan. Replaced old statements (Statutory assessment of a child’s special educational needs) and involves 3 agencies schools, health and social care.

EP

Education psychologist

Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in school, the workplace and in wider society. It replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act, making the law easier to understand and strengthening protection in some situations. It sets out the different ways in which it’s unlawful to treat someone.

EWO

Educational Welfare Officer – Employed by the LA to make sure that children are getting the education they need. They deal with school attendance.

Abbreviation/Term

Meaning

Expressive Language

How a child or young person expresses ideas, thoughts and feelings through speech.

EY

Early Years

Fine Motor Skills

Small movements of the body for example, using fingers to pick up small items, holding a pencil or doing up zips and buttons.

Gait

The way in which a child walks.

GLD

Global learning difficulties

Governors

A school’s governing body that oversees the workings of the school. It includes an SEN Governor and a Parent Governor.

Gross Motor

Large movements e.g. Running, jumping and climbing

Hearing Impairment

A degree of hearing loss.

HLTA

Higher level teaching assistant

Hyperactivity

Difficulty in concentrating or sitting still for any length of time. Restless, fidgety behaviour, also a child may have sleeping difficulties.

LAC

Looked after children

HI

Hearing impaired

IEP

Individual education plan

LA

Local Authority – The Local Authority is responsible for providing education and for making education, health and care assessments and maintaining Education, Health & Care Plans.

LD

Learning difficulties

Literacy Skills

Reading, writing and spelling ability.

Local Offer

Local authorities will be required to publish a ‘local offer’. A local offer is intended to provide information about provision it expects to be available to children with SEN and disabilities in their area both in and outside of a school.

LSA/TA

Learning support assistant/Teaching Assistant – Non-teaching support staff who work with children with special educational needs in the classroom.

MLD

Moderate learning difficulties

Modified Curriculum

Changing the curriculum in some way to meet a child or young person’s individual needs. Examples include increasing/decreasing the difficulty level, length, or pace, alternating easy and difficult tasks, alternating preferred and less preferred tasks, teaching the skill within daily routines, using materials that are interesting to the child or young person, etc.

Abbreviation/Term

Meaning

ODD

Oppositional defiant disorder

OT

Occupational therapy/therapist

PEP

Personal education plan (for looked after children)

PD

Physical disability

SaLT

Speech and language therapy

SEN(D)

Special educational needs (and disabilities)

SENCo

Special educational needs co-ordinator

SEN Support

When a child or young person has been identified as having special educational needs, schools should take action to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provision in place called SEN Support. This SEN Support should take the form of a four part cycle (assess/plan/do/review) through which earlier decisions and actions are revisited, refined and revised with a growing understanding of the child’s needs and what support the child in making good progress and securing good outcomes. This is known as the graduated approach.

SLCN

Speech, language and communication needs

SLD

Severe learning difficulties

SM

Selective mutism (formerly known as elective mutism)

SpLD

Specific learning difficulties

SPDs

Sensory processing disorders

SPM

Sensory, physical, medical

TA

Teaching assistant

TAC

Team around the child

TAF

Team around the family (when CAF is about whole family)

Transition

Movement between different environments, rooms or settings. All transition involves change and it is vital to prepare children, no matter how young they are, for this. When children are prepared for transition they adapt more easily to changes.

VI

Visually impaired