The following provides a list of terms and acronyms that may be used in relation to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We try to keep them to a minimum, however you may find these terms in documentation.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | K | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | V
AAC - Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Communication in addition or alternative to any spoken language. Examples of this include voice output technology, signing or symbols.
Access Arrangements
Support put in place to help students to do exams.
ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
A condition that affects behaviour, focus and concentration.
AEN / ALN - Additional Educational Needs / Additional Learning Needs
This refers to children and young people who have learning, physical or sensory needs. These make it harder for them to learn than most children of the same age.
AP - Alternative Provision
Education provision for children and young people who can’t go to a mainstream school.
AR - Annual Review
Education Health and Care Plans have to be discussed and updated every year. This is often called the Annual Review.
ARB - Area Resource Base
ARBs support pupils with more complex needs. They are part of the mainstream school that hosts them.
ARE - Age Related Expectation
Age-related expectations identify what is expected of a pupil by a specified age or year group.
ASD / ASC - Autistic Spectrum Disorder or Condition
A developmental disability that affects communication and interaction with the world.
Sign Language is a means of communicating visually using gestures, facial expression, and body language.
BSP - Behaviour Support Plan
A plan designed to help children and young people with:
- behaviour difficulties
- learning difficulties that affect their behaviour
- social difficulties
C&I - Communication and Interaction
Communication and interaction conditions may include children and young people who have speech, language and communication needs.
C&L / CAL - Cognition and learning
Cognition and learning difficulties can affect children’s ability to learn and do well at school.
CAF - Common Assessment Framework
The Common Assessment Framework is a way of working with families that puts their needs at the heart of decisions made about them and their children.
CAMHS - Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services
NHS service that assesses and treats young people with emotional, behavioural or mental health difficulties.
CC - Cornwall Council (sometimes called CSA or LA)
The Local Authority
CFT / CPFT - Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
The NHS community and mental health provider Trust.
CHC - Continuing Health Care
NHS continuing healthcare is for adults. Children and young people may receive a “continuing care package” if they have needs arising from disability, accident or illness that cannot be met by existing universal or specialist services alone.
CIC - Child in Care (sometimes called LAC)
A child who has been in the care of their local authority for more than 24 hours is known as a looked after child.
CIN / ChIN - Child in Need
A child who needs help to be healthy or develop as they should.
CMHTs - Community Mental Health Teams
These are a community based assessment and treatment service for people suffering mental health problems who are over the age of 18.
CoP - Code of Practice
Statutory guidance for all organisations that support Children and Young People with SEND.
CSA - Children’s Service Authority (sometimes called CC or LA)
Cornwall Council is responsible for children’s services.
CSW - Community Support Worker
Practitioners who support the health and wellbeing of people within the community.
CYP - Child or Young Person
DBS - Disclosure and Barring Service
Process for checking the criminal record of someone applying for a role.
DD (GD) - Developmental delay / Global delay
Taking longer to meet certain developmental milestones than children of a similar age.
Differentiated Curriculum
Modified or adapted curriculum that meets the different ability levels of learners.
DCTS - Disabled Children and Therapy Service
Providing a range of services for families of children and young people with disabilities.
DLA - Disability Living Allowance
Extra money to help you with everyday life if you have a child under 16 with a disability or and/or a health condition.
DSL - Designated Safeguarding Lead
Every organisation that works with children needs to have someone that takes the lead on safeguarding and child protection.
EAL - English as an Additional Language
Term used to describe children and young people whose first language is not English.
EBSA - Emotionally Based School Avoidance
This is a term referring to reduced or nonattendance at school by a child or young person.
EHCNA - Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment
Evidence gathering process to help decide if an Education, Health and Care plan is needed.
EHCP - Education, Health and Care Plan
A legally binding document that describes the needs of the child/young person and sets out the extra help and support needed to meet those needs.
EHE - Elective Home Education
Choice made by parents to educate child/young person at home or in some other way away from school. This is different to an EOTAS arrangement.
EHH - Early Help Hub
The ‘front door’ to Early Help services led by Cornwall Council and Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
EOTAS - Education Otherwise Than at / in School
This is where a child or young person with an EHC Plan can receive special educational provision despite being unable to attend an educational setting. It is different to Elective Home Education.
EP (EPS) - Educational Psychologist (Education Psychology Service)
Trained psychologist specialising in child development.
ES - Early Support
Early Support is a service which helps disabled children and young people. It is part of the Disabled Children and Therapy Service.
ESFA - Education and Skills Funding Agency
The ESFA is accountable for funding education and skills for children, young people and adults.
EWO - Education Welfare Officer
Education welfare officers make sure that children attend school and get the support they need.
EY - Early Years
Child development period from birth to the end of Reception or Foundation Year.
EYFS (P) - Early Years Foundation Stage (Profile)
Nursery and Reception years in education.
FFA - Families First Assessment
Early help tool to identify needs and organise the right support.
FIS - Family Information Service
The Family Information Service supports families across Cornwall with free and impartial information and advice.
Fine motor skills
Small muscles of the hands – using pencils, scissors, constructing with Lego, doing up buttons.
FTT - First Tier Tribunal
Hears appeals against decisions made by Local Education Authorities in England about the education of children with special educational needs.
FTE - Fixed Term Exclusion
A temporary exclusion for a set number of days after which a child or young person can return to their education setting.
When a pupil is identified as having Special Educational Needs, schools must put effective provision in place and ensure that all barriers to learning are removed.
Gross motor skills
Whole body movements – sitting, crawling, throwing and catching, kicking a ball etc.
Hearing loss that can be mild, moderate or severe.
HNF / LHNF - High Needs Funding / Local High Needs Funding
Top-up funding for child/young person with needs that meet a higher threshold for support.
HV - Health Visitor
A nurse working in the community to support the health and development of children under 5 and their families.
IEP - Individual Education Plan
An IEP is a document that helps teaching staff to plan for a child. It should include strategies to help them learn and be used to review progress.
The different age range blocks within schools.
Reduced cognitive ability, difficulty with everyday activities and independence.
LA - Local Authority (sometimes called CC or CSA)
Official body responsible for the organisation of all public services and facilities in the area.
LAC - Looked After Child (sometimes called CIC)
A child who has been in the care of their local authority for more than 24 hours is known as a looked after child.
LO - Local Offer (sometimes called SEND Local Offer)
Provides information to families of child / young person with SEND about what support services are available in the local area.
LSA / TA - Learning Support Assistant / Teaching Assistant
Staff in schools that provide additional support to the teacher and to some individual pupils.
Lead Professional
The Lead Professional acts as a ‘Key Worker’ for the family, co-ordinating support and for a family when lots of services are involved and a joined up approach is needed.
A simple communication system using signs and symbols.
Mainstream school
Maintained school or an Academy that is not a special school or an independent school.
Managed Move
A voluntary agreement between a school, parents/carers and a pupil, to change school. These are often used as an alternative to permanent exclusion.
Mediation
A voluntary process for parents and young people. It is used when parents and the local authority can’t reach an agreement about Education, Health and Care plans.
MARU - Multi-Agency Referral Unit
The MARU provides a multi-disciplinary response to concerns about the welfare or safety of a child or young person in line with statutory guidance.
MSI - Multi-sensory Impairment
Hearing and Vision loss. Some children and young people may be completely deaf and blind.
The different ways that the brain works and interprets information, highlighting that people naturally think about things differently.
NEET - Not in Employment Education or Training
Anybody who is not in any of the forms of education or training and not in employment is considered to be NEET.
Non-verbal or pre-verbal
Communication before speech has developed
Non-statutory
Something that is not required by Law
Support to improve the ability to carry out everyday tasks.
OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Common mental health condition where a person has uncontrollable and reoccurring thoughts or behaviours that they feel the urge to repeat over and over.
ODD - Oppositional Defiance Disorder
Uncooperative, defiant and hostile behaviour.
Outcomes
These are what the child/young person will do and achieve as a result of the support they have been given.
Parent Carers Cornwall (PCC) is the recognised Parent Carer Forum for Cornwall.
Personal Budget
Funding that the Local Authority can give to parents or a young person over 16 years to secure particular provision that is specified in the Education, Health and Care Plan.
PD - Physical Difficulty
Long term physical impairment that has a substantial effect on the ability to carry our everyday activities.
PfA - Preparing for Adulthood
Preparing for Adulthood is the 5 steps and 4 pathways to help young people get ready for adult life.
PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties
A severe learning disability that significantly affects the ability to communicate and be independent.
Portage
Planned, home-based educational support for pre-school children with special educational needs.
PNI - Physical and Neurological Impairment
Physical difficulty and/or medical need that creates a barrier to learning or to the setting. Physical resources and reasonable adjustments will need to be made.
PSA - Parent Support Advisor
Staff who work with families to overcome barriers to learning and increase involvement in education.
PVI
Private, Voluntary and Independent early years settings that provide childcare from 0-5 years and may be open 52 weeks of the year.
Changes a school makes to remove or reduce a disadvantage related to someone’s disability.
S&L - Speech and Language and / or SaLT - Speech and Language Therapy / Therapist
Support and care for children who have difficulties with communication, eating, drinking and swallowing.
SCIP - Supporting Change in Partnership
A programme for families who need practical support with their disabled child.
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
A type of special educational needs in which children/young people have severe difficulties in managing their emotions and behaviour. They often show inappropriate responses and feelings to situations.
SEND - Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
A learning difficulty or disability that means a child / young person may need special health or education support.
SENCo / SENDCo - Special Educational Needs Disabilities Co-ordinator
The person in school responsible for ensuring that the needs of child/young person with SEND are met.
SN - School Nurse
A nurse working in schools to support the health and development of children 5 years and over and their families.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Support
Support that is different from or additional to that which is generally given to other children of the same age.
SENDIASS - SEND Independent Advice and Support Service
An impartial SEND service for child/young person and parents.
Short Breaks
Activities for disabled child / young person to give families a break.
SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication Needs
Difficulties with speech sounds and / or understanding of language.
SLD - Severe Learning Difficulties
Diagnosis of significant impaired intelligence and impaired social functioning.
SPD - Sensory Processing Disorder
A condition that affects how the brain processes sensory information.
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulties
An umbrella term for Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia and Dyspraxia.
S&P - Sensory and Physical
Children with sensory or physical needs may have a disability. They may need specialist equipment to access learning and other opportunities available to their peers. They may also need support to help with daily tasks such as eating or travelling.
Special School
Schools that provide education specifically for child/young person with needs that can’t be met in a mainstream school.
SRP - Special Resource Provision
Centres attached to mainstream schools providing access to a mainstream curriculum in a smaller and less stressful environment.
A meeting which brings together professionals and families to discuss a child’s SEND and progress are discussed, and support planned and reviewed.
Transition
The process of changing from one thing to another – class, year group, school etc.
TFF - Together for Families
Together for Families is the name for children’s services run by Cornwall Council. This includes children’s community health, education and social care.
A loss of sight that cannot be corrected by glasses or lenses.
