ASC: Autistic Spectrum Condition
 

A special education need which impacts on social communication, social interaction, interests and behaviour.  Learn More.
​
ASD: Autistic Spectrum Disorder 

 

Click here to learn about ASD
​
ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

A behavioural disorder which includes symptoms such as inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Click here to learn more.
​
ADD: Attention Deficit Disorder
​
ADOS: Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule
 

An assessment of social communication, social interaction and play used on children and adults suspected of
having autism spectrum disorder. For more information click here.
​
AR: Annual Review 
​
APD: Auditory Processing Disorder
 

Where you have difficulty understanding sounds, including spoken words. There are things you can do that can help.

Symptoms of auditory processing disorder (APD)
APD often starts in childhood but some people develop it later.
If you or your child have APD, you may find it difficult to understand:
 

• people speaking in noisy places

• people with strong accents or fast talkers 

• similar sounding words

• spoken instructions
   

APD is not a hearing problem. People with the condition usually have normal hearing. Seek advice from your GP or paediatrician.

​
Baseline Assessment
 

A standardised teacher assessment designed to establish the attainment level of children at a significant point
​
CAF: Common Assessment Framework (Lancashire CAF forms and guidance)
 
CAMHS: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
 

Lancashire CAMHS services are provided by Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
https://www.lscft.nhs.uk/CAMHS
​
CCG: Clinical Commissioning Group

Commission most of the hospital and community NHS services in the local areas for which they are
responsible. Commissioning involves deciding what services are needed for diverse local populations, and ensuring that they are provided. 

​
CIN: Child In Need 

Children in need are defined in law as children who are aged under 18 and:
 

• need local authority services to achieve or maintain a reasonable standard of

• health or development

• need local authority services to prevent significant or further harm to health or development

• are disabled

The local authority must keep a register of children with disabilities in its area but does not have to keep a register of all children in need.
 
Code of Practice

Government guidance on the duties of local authorities, schools, colleges, health services and others who support children and young people with special educational needs (SEN). The full Code of Practice can be downloaded here
​
CP: Child Protection

 

Part of the safeguarding process. It focuses on protecting individual children identified as suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. This includes child protection procedures which detail how to respond to concerns about
a child.
​
CP: Clinical Psychologist

 

A mental health professional with highly specialised training in the diagnosis and psychological treatment of mental, behavioural and emotional illnesses, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
​
CSC: Children's Social Care

The Lancashire Social Care Hub details can be found here or ring 0300 123 6700
​
CWD: Children With Disability 
​
DCD: Developmental Co-ordination Disorder

Also known as dyspraxia, is a condition affecting physical co-ordination. It causes a child to perform less well than expected in daily activities for their age, and appear to move clumsily. DCD is thought to be around 3 or 4 times more common in boys than girls, and the condition sometimes runs in families. See also here.

DCO: Designated Clinical Officer
​
DDA: Disability Discrimination Act

 

Read The Legislation
​
DfE: Department for Education
​
DISCO: Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Problems

A schedule for the diagnosis of autistic spectrum and related disorders and assessment of individual needs. It enables information to be recorded systematically for a wide range of behaviours and developmental skills and is suitable for use with all ages and levels of ability. In addition to helping the clinician to obtain a profile of each
individual's pattern of development and behaviour, the DISCO also enables identification of specific features found in autistic spectrum disorders that are relevant for use with established diagnostic systems. Further information here ​

​

DLA: Disability Living Allowance

Please see the Benefits page on this website for more information here
​
DLD: Developmental Language Disorder 

 

A type of speech, language and communication need (SLCN) that affects the way that children understand and use language. DLD increases the risk of a range of negative impacts on education, employment, and social and emotional problems, but appropriate support can make a difference. DLD affects 7.58% of children. Speech and language therapists (SLTs) teach strategies to children with DLD and those around them, which aim to reduce the impact of their difficulties and develop their language abilities to their maximum potential.
 
DP: Direct Payments

Instead of receiving support arranged by your council or trust, you have the ability with a direct payment to choose and purchase the services you feel you need, as agreed by them. For example, you may wish to employ someone directly to help manage the care of the person you’re looking after. 
​
DX: Diagnosis
​
EAL: English as an Additional Language
​
EBSA: Emotional Based School Avoidance 
​
Education, Health and Care (EHC) Needs Assessment

A formal assessment carried out by a local authority to decide how much extra support a child or young
person needs. The EHCP page on this website may help further.
 
EHE: Elective Home Education

 

further info can be found at http://ehe-sen.org.uk/ 
 
EOTAS: Education Other Than At School
​
ELP: Enhanced Learning Provision
​
EP: Educational Psychologist

​

Educational psychologists work within local authorities or privately, in partnership with families and other professionals, to help children and young people achieve their full potential. Educational psychologists
support schools and the local authority to improve all children’s experiences of learning.
​
EWO: Education Welfare Officer
​
EYFS: Early Years Foundation Stage
​
FSM: Free School Meals ​

Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:
 

• Universal Credit with a household income of less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

• Income-Based Jobseekers Allowance

• Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance

• Child Tax Credit, not entitled to Working Tax Credit and household income less than £16,190

• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

• Guarantee element of State Pension Credit

• Income Support

• Working Tax Credit – the payment you receive for a further four weeks after you finish work

If your child is currently eligible for free school meals, that eligibility will be protected
until Universal Credit is introduced (expected March 2022) even if your
circumstances change. If your child is still in education on this date, they will be
eligible until they finish the phase of schooling (primary or secondary) they are in.

 

Click Here to learn more
​
GDD: Global Developmental Delay
​
Graduated Approach: Assess, Plan, Do, Review.

 

This is part of the process to ensure all needs are met in a timely and efficient manner. The Early Help page on
this website may help further.
​
HI: Hearing Impairment

 

(Page on this website here )
​
HLTA: Higher Level Teaching Assistant
​
IASS: Information, Advice and Support Service

 

see also SENDIAS
​
IBP: Individual Behaviour Plan

 

see the page on Behaviour that concerns here
 
ICP: Individual Care Plan

 

Individual healthcare plans are documents drawn up involving people who might be required to contribute to a child's care while at school. This could include the head teacher, the class teacher, care or support staff, other
staff members who might need to provide medical or emergency care, you and your child. Other people from outside the school might also be involved, depending on the level of your child's needs, such as the GP or school health service.
 

The plan is intended to set out what sort of support your child needs to participate in school life just like other children. It's a written document that specifies what sort of help the school can provide for your child – for example, what medicines they can administer, and what to do in a medical emergency. Healthcare plans should be kept confidential, but your child's school will need to share the information with anyone who might need to deal with an emergency involving your child (for example, midday supervisors who monitor the dining hall and playground at lunchtime). The headteacher should discuss who will need to see the plan with you (and your child, if they are old enough to understand).
 

Individual healthcare plans are not the same as education, health and care (EHC) plans, which set out the support needed by children with special educational needs, although some children may have both types of plan.
 
IEP: Individual Education Plan

​

A set of targets for child to work towards in school which is reviewed either termly or half termly with the class teacher and / or SENCO and parent/carer as part of the Assess, Plan, Do review cycle. 
​
LA: Local Authority 

 

i.e. Lancashire County Council

LCPF: Lancashire Parent Carer Forum
​
LAC: Looked After Child 

According to the NSPCC : A child who has been in the care of their local authority for more than 24 hours is known as a looked after child. Looked after children are also often referred to as children in care, a term which many children and young people prefer.
 

Each UK nation has a slightly different definition of a looked after child and follows its
own legislation, policy and guidance. But in general, looked after children are:

​

• Living with foster parents

• Living in a residential children's home or

• Living in residential settings like schools or secure units.

 
LD: Learning Disability  

​

Mencap says : A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities – for example household tasks, socialising or managing money – which affects someone for their whole life.
 

People with a learning disability tend to take longer to learn and may need support to
develop new skills, understand complicated information and interact with other
people. 
​​
LEA: Local Education Authority

LMP: Local Moderating Panel
​
Local Offer: Information published by the local authority about the education, health
and social care support available in the area for children and young people with SEN
and disabilities. Lancashire Local Offer 
 
LSA: Learning Support Assistant
​
MDT: Multi Disciplinary Team 
​
MLD: Moderate Learning Difficulty
 
NC: National Curriculum
​
OT: Occupational Therapist
​
Outcomes:  The benefit or difference that a particular bit of help makes to a child or
young person.
​
PALS: Patient Advice and Liaison Service

 

Offers confidential advice, support and information on health-related matters. They provide a point of contact for patients, their families and their carers. 
 
PECS: Picture Exchange Communication System

Was developed specifically as a communication tool for non verbal children with Autism Spectrum Conditions.

​

Although this system was designed for use with ASC’s it has been successful in supporting individuals with a wide range of learning and physically disabilities. See also here
​
Personal Budget

An amount of money which can be used to buy support described in an EHC plan. A young person or their family can have a say in how the budget is used.
​
PIP: Personal Independence Payment

 

See the Benefits page for more information here
​
PMLD: Profound Multiple Learning Disabilities 

A person with PMLD has a combination of a severe learning disability and other disabilities and may require 24- hour extensive and complex care. They are more likely to have conditions such as respiratory diseases, epilepsy, coronary heart disease and Osteoporosis.

PMLD has a significant impact on a person’s ability to live independently as they may have severely reduced mobility, difficulties with communication as well as seeing and hearing. As a result, people with PMLD may need support with everything from eating, going to the toilet, dressing and washing.
 

Although people with PMLD are among the most disabled in society, they can form relationships, enjoy activities and engage with the world around them.
​
Preparing for Adulthood

​

The term used to describe the support given to children and young people to prepare them for the new responsibilities, new experiences and new challenges of the next stage of their education, training and employment.

Everyone has a part to play in preparing children and young people for adulthood from the earliest stage. For example, raising the aspirations of children and young people and their parent/carers, supporting pupils to achieve the best possible outcomes in education and employment, independent living and participation in
society.

https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/media/922352/chapter-8-preparing-for-
adulthooddocx-updated.pdf
 
SALT: Speech and Language Therapy
 
Safeguarding - Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of
children and protect them from harm.
Safeguarding means:
 protecting children from abuse and maltreatment
 preventing harm to children’s health or development
 ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care
 taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best
outcomes.
​
SEMH: Social, Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health

 

Blog and website for families and professionals https://www.semh.co.uk/
​
SEN: Special Education Needs

​
SEND: Special Education Needs and Disabilities
 
SENDIAS: Special Education Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and
Support Service (Lancashire SENDIAS)

The service is free, impartial, and confidential. It can help you to gather, understand and interpret information and apply it to your own situation.
 

We can provide information around the following areas in relation to SEND:

• Rights, roles and responsibilities

• Health and social care processes, regulations and guidance

• Support from other agencies and organisations

We can also support to families in:

• Managing mediation appeals, to the First-tier Tribunal

• Exclusion from school

• Liaising between you, your nursery, school or college and other professionals

Young people aged 16-25 can access the service independently from their parents.
We may offer one to one support by telephone, email or meetings depending on your
circumstances.
​
SENCO: Special Educational Needs Coordinator

​

A qualified teacher in a mainstream nursery or school who arranges the extra help for pupils with SEN.
​
SENDO: Special Education Needs Designated Officer 
 
SEN support - The first level of extra support in mainstream education settings for children and young people with SEN. It replaced school action/action plus in September 2014. SEN support is the term used to describe the support that schools provide for pupils who have been identified as having SEN but who do not need an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment. Pupils at SEN Support are given support that is additional to and different from the majority of children and is paid for out of the school's resources. Most pupils with SEN in mainstream schools are provided for at SEN Support
​
Social Care Provision

The support that someone receives to help them at home or in the community.

​
SEP: Special Educational Provision

​

A general term for any extra help given to children or young people with SEN that is over and above the help normally given to pupils of their age in mainstream education settings.
​
SPD: Sensory Processing Disorder (also known as sensory integration dysfunction)

A condition where multisensory integration is not adequately processed in order to provide appropriate responses to the demands of the environment. Sensory processing disorder is present in almost all people with autism spectrum disorders.
​

​

SpLD: Specific Learning Difficulty  

 

The term ‘Specific Learning Difficulty’ (SpLD) is term that refers to a difference or difficulty with particular aspects of learning. The most common SpLDs are dyslexia, dyspraxia, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, dyscalculia and dysgraphia. An individual may have one of these independently or they can co-exist as part of a wider profile. Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs) exist on a continuum from mild to moderate through to severe. There are common patterns of behaviour and ability, but there will be a range of different patterns of effects for each individual. 
​
TA: Teaching Assistant
​
TAC / TA:F Team Around the Child / Team Around the Family.

 

A TAF meeting brings together a child, young person, their family and professionals working with them to create a coordinated support plan. Usually held every 6 weeks 
​
VI: Visual Impairment