Your SEND Jargon Buster

We know that there is a lot of jargon and many acronyms around SEND (and there's the first one - "Special Education Needs and Disabilities") so here's our definitive guide to all the jargon you might come across.  If you think we've missed something - let us know!

A
AAC	Augmentative and Alternative Communication system - an “add on” to speech e.g. PECS
ADD	Attention Deficit Disorder
ADHD	Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a group of behavioural symptoms that include inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness
Advocacy	Support for people to express their views
Annual Review	A review of a statement of Special Educational Needs (now being replaced by an Education Health Care (EHC) plan), which an education authority must undertake at least every 12 months.
APDR	Assess, Plan, DO, Review
ASD	Autistic Spectrum Disorder: a developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with, and relates to other people. It also affects how they make sense of the world around them.

B
BELS	Barnet Education and Learning Service
BEAM	Barnet Early Autism Model
BICS	Barnet Integrated Clinical Services: Help for children, adolescents and their families with mental health issues
BPCF	Barnet Parent and Carer Forum

C
Clinical Psychologist	A professional who focuses on the treatment and diagnosing of mental and emotional disorders
CAMHS	Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: These services assess and treat children and young people with emotional, behavioural or mental health difficulties.
Care Plan	A record of the health and/or social care services that are being provided to a child or young person to help them manage a disability or health condition.
Caseworker	A named officer of the local authority who will deal with your child's case and who will talk to you if you have an enquiry or concern.
Clinical Psychologist	Focuses on the treatment and diagnosing of mental and emotional disorders

D
DCD	Developmental Coordination Disorder
DLA	Disability Living Assessment
DMO	Designated Medical Officer

E
Educational Psychologist	A professional who helps in assessing your child’s special educational needs and giving advice to schools
EHC Plan	Education, Health and Care plan: An EHC plan details the education, health and social care support to be provided to a child or young person who has SEN or a disability. It is drawn up by the local authority after an EHC needs assessment of the child or young person has determined that an EHC plan is necessary.
EQA	Equality Act (2010)
EYSEND	Early Years (0-5) SEND

H
HLTA	Higher Level Teaching Assistant (see also TA)

L
LA	Local Authority  - the council; in this case, London Borough of Barnet
Local Offer	What the Local Authority can offer your child. All local authorities in England are required to set out in their Local Offer information about provision they expect to be available across education, health and social care for children and young people in their area who have SEN or are disabled.
Looked After Child	A child or young person who is being cared for by their local authority
LSA	Learning Support Assistant/Mentor

M
Mediation	A statutory service commissioned by the LA which is designed to help settle agreements between parents or young people and local authorities over EHC needs assessments and plans.
MLD	Moderate Learning Difficulties: A student with moderate learning difficulties is understood to display significant delay in reaching developmental milestones and may have much greater difficulty than their peers in acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills. They may also have associated speech and language delay, low levels of concentration and under-developed social, emotional and personal skills. See also SLD and PMLD
MENCAP	A charity that supports families https://www.mencap.org.uk/

O
Outcome	Describes a difference that will be made to an individual as a result of a special education and or provision

P
Parent Carer Forum	A group of parents and carers of disabled children who work with local authorities, education, health and other providers to make sure the services they plan and deliver meet the needs of disabled children and families.
PECS	An alternative/augmentative communication system allowing people to communicate using images
PEP	Personal Education Plan for Looked After Child
Personal Budget	An amount of money identified by the local authority to deliver provision set out in an EHC plan where the parent or young person is involved in securing that provision. The funds can be held directly by the parent or young person, or may be held and managed on their behalf by the local authority.
PMLD	Profound and Multiple Learning Disability: This diagnosis is used when a child has more than one disability, with the most significant being a learning disability. Many children diagnosed with PMLD will also have a sensory or physical disability, complex health needs, or mental health difficulties. See also MLD and SLD
Provision Map	The way the setting records the programmes in place to support young peoples needs
PSTT	Pre School Teaching Team: Specialist Early Years Teachers working with families to support the identification and planning for children with complex needs

R
Respite Care (also known as Short Breaks)	Identified package of support to give parent/carers a break from caring. Short breaks can be overnight care for the child/young person with disabilities, activities or a carer. Families may also be receiving support from the Children with Disabilities Service.

S
SCERTS	Social Communication Emotional Regulation Transactional Support
SEMH	Social Emotional Mental Health
SEN	Special Educational Needs
SEND	Special Educational Needs and Disability
SENCo	Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator: The teacher with responsibility for the planning and monitoring of the special educational provision within your child's school.
SENDIASS	Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice Service: Provides information and support to parents/carers whose children have special educational needs.
SEN Code of Practice	A statutory government document which provides practical advice to those carrying out their statutory duties to identify, assess and make provision for children's special educational needs.
SEN Governor	The setting governor with responsibility for SEN
SEN Provision	The additional or different help/support given to children with special educational needs, designed to help them access the National Curriculum.
SENs Plan	Sen Support Plan
SLD	Severe Learning Disabilities. See also MLD and PMLD
Special School	A school that is organised to make special educational provision for pupils with SEN and available for children with Statements of Educational Needs/EHC plans.
Statutory Assessment	A detailed assessment of a child's special educational needs, which informs the EHC plan

T
TA	Teaching Assistant
TAC	Team Around Child: a network of practitioners who work together to agree a plan and delivery of support to meet a child or young person's assessed needs, and to some extent, needs of the family where these impact on the child or young person
TAS	Team Around Setting
Transition Plan	A plan drawn up after the Year 9 Annual Review of a statement/EHC plan that draws together information from a range of individuals to plan for the young person's transition to adult life. It can be plan drawn up for any transition
Triple P	A Positive Parenting Programme https://www.triplep-parenting.uk.net/uk/triple-p/

V
VI	Visual Impairment
Visuals	An essential tool to support young people