SEND glossary

SEND - Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities

SEN - Special Educational Needs

SENCO/SENDCO - Special Educational Needs Coordinator/Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities Coordinator

EHCP – Education, Health and Care Plan

IEP – Individual Education Plan

Annual Review – Yearly review of a child’s EHCP

Local Offer – Directory of SEND services provided by the local authority

Provision Map – Overview of support provided to pupils with SEND

ASC / ASD – Autism Spectrum Condition / Disorder

ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

ADD – Attention Deficit Disorder (without hyperactivity)

SpLD – Specific Learning Difficulties (e.g., dyslexia, dyspraxia)

MLD – Moderate Learning Difficulty

SLD – Severe Learning Difficulty

PMLD – Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties

SEMH – Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs

SLCN – Speech, Language and Communication Needs

VI – Visual Impairment

HI – Hearing Impairment

SI – Sensory Integration difficulties

Tourette’s Syndrome – Neurological condition involving tics

Dyslexia – A set of processing difficulties that affect the acquisition of reading and spelling. (Read more - Delphi definition - British Dyslexia Association)

Dyspraxia – A common, lifelong neurological condition affecting physical coordination, motor planning, and organisation (Read more - NHS)

Dyscalculia – Often used to describe someone who unexpectedly struggles to understand and achieve in Maths (Read more - British Dyslexia Association)

Special School – A school specifically for children with complex SEND

Mainstream School – General education school

Alternative Provision (AP) – Education outside traditional education settings

Independent Specialist School – Non-maintained school offering specialist SEND support

Panel – Multi-agency group reviewing school placements and EHCPs

Placement Consultation – Process of matching a child with a suitable school

Named School – School listed in Section I of the EHCP

Tribunal – Legal appeal process for EHCP decisions

Consultation/Referral - The process of a Local Authority sending a child's Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), along with any supporting documents, to a school for consideration for a place

EP – Educational Psychologist

CAMHS – Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

SaLT – Speech and Language Therapist

OT – Occupational Therapist

Physio – Physiotherapist

QTVI – Qualified Teacher of the Visually Impaired

QTMSI – Qualified Teacher of the Multi-Sensory Impaired

TAC – Team Around the Child

Early Help – Support for families before statutory interventio

CIN – Child in Need

CLA / LAC – Child Looked After / Looked After Child

UASC – Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Child

MASH – Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub

CP Plan – Child Protection Plan

DSL – Designated Safeguarding Lead

Reasonable Adjustments – Legal requirement to remove barriers for disabled pupils

Transition Plan – Support for moving between educational stages and/or settings

Person-Centred Planning – Approach focused on the child’s voice and aspirations

Outreach Support – Specialist advice provided to mainstream settings

EHCP Outcomes – Goals set in the EHCP to measure progress

Provision Panel – Local authority group deciding on specialist placement