We appreciate that SEND is full of jargon so we hope the following section will support you.

A&E – Accident & Emergency Department
Acute – The short term, crisis phase of an illness
ADD – Attention Deficit Disorder. (Also see ADHD)
ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
ASD – Autistic Spectrum Disorder
BESD – Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties
CAMHS – Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service
CAF – Common Assessment Framework
EHA – Early Help Assessment
Complex – More than one significant problem
CP – Child protection
Diagnosis – Identification of a disease or condition by looking at the symptoms
DLA – Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is a benefit you can claim if your child needs extra help or looking after because of their special needs.
DDA – Disability Discrimination Act
Early Years Education – All pre-school education provision such as playgroups, nursery classes, pre-schools and day nurseries.
ENT – Ear, nose and throat
EDT – Emergency Duty Team
EHCP – Educational Health Care Plan – A plan to support children in school with complex Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities
EP – Educational Psychologists are psychologists who may have previously trained and worked as teachers; they work in schools offering support with any difficulty affecting your child’s development and learning.
GDD – Global Developmental Delay. When a child has delayed achievement of one or more developmental milestones, this is Developmental Delay. Global Developmental Delay implies that the child has delays in all areas of development.
GP – General Practitioner or family doctor
HI – Hearing Impairment
HV – Health Visitor
IEP – Individual Education Plan
Key Worker – The term Key worker is used to describe workers from a variety of settings who work closely with a child young person, or adult Care Co-ordination Key workers have a specific role.
LD Nurse – Learning Disability Nurse
LA – Local Authority
Local Offer – What is available for children with SEND in the area
MLD – Moderate Learning Difficulties
MSI – Multi Sensory Impairment
Neuropsychologist – Is a psychologist who assesses and works with people who may have impaired areas of the brain that may be affecting things like speech, learning etc.
NHS – National Health Service
OT – Occupational Therapist
PAEDS – Paediatrics
Paediatrician – Doctor who specialises in the Development or care of children
PEP – Personal Education Plan
PMLD – Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties.
Progressive – A condition which will go through a series of stages as it develops. Often suggests a condition will not improve.
SALT – Speech and Language Therapy
SEN – Special Educational Needs
SENDCo – Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator is a teacher within a school who is responsible for co-ordinating help for children with special educational needs.
SEND – Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
SLD – Severe Learning Difficulties. Can sometimes refer to speech and language difficulties too
SPLD – Specific Learning Difficulty, for example dyslexia or dyspraxia
SW – Social Worker
TAC – Team Around The Child
TAF – Team Around The Family
VI – Visually Impaired