Navigating your child’s speech, language, or additional needs journey often means encountering unfamiliar terms and acronyms. This jargon buster explains the most common ones you’re likely to come across.
ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder): Difficulties in concentrating or sticking to tasks. Children with ADD find it difficult to sit still and will appear not to be listening when they are spoken to. They make lots of simple errors and are easily distracted in the classroom.
ADHD (Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity Disorder): A range of problem behaviours associated with difficulties with attention span, including restlessness and hyperactivity.
Annual Review Report: A written progress report completed by the school for an Annual or Transition Review meeting.
AS – Asperger’s Syndrome: A form of autism. People with AS have average or above-average intelligence and fewer problems with social interaction, communication and imagination.
ASD – Autistic Spectrum Disorder: The term used for a range of disorders affecting the development of social interaction, communication and imagination.
CAF (Common Assessment Framework): An assessment to get a complete picture of a child’s additional needs at an early stage. It looks at all unmet needs and helps children access the right service earlier.
CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service): A service that provides help, support and care for children and young people experiencing mental health difficulties.
Case Worker: A named local authority officer who co-ordinates the child’s Statutory Assessment process and the maintenance of statements. The Case Worker is the first point of contact in the LA to answer questions and concerns parents may have about progress with a Statutory Assessment or their child’s Statement.
Complex Needs: Describes a child who has moderate learning difficulties and may have other difficulties such as speech and language, autistic spectrum disorder, behaviour or physical difficulties.
EHC Plan (Education, Health and Care Plan): Has more sections than a Statement. It focuses more on the educational outcomes sought for the child, as well as setting out the special educational provisions the child may require.
IEP (Individual Education Plan): A set of short-term learning targets set for a child with special educational needs. The SENCO and teachers usually put it together, but parents and pupils should always be involved. An IEP should be reviewed at least twice a year, though more frequent review is often appropriate.
Inclusion Support Service: Usually found in schools, this service helps build capacity for including children with a range of special educational needs. Co-ordinators also advise schools about the inclusion of individual statemented pupils referred to the service.
Inclusion: Educating children with special educational needs in mainstream (local) schools wherever possible.
Independent Parental Supporter (IPS): Someone who supports parents, encourages parental participation, and helps parents understand the SEN framework. An IPS is independent of the decision-making process that determines the type and level of support for a child with special educational needs, and is often from a voluntary organisation, a Parent Partnership Service, a private service provider, or a friend.
LD (Learning Difficulties): A child has learning difficulties if they find it significantly harder to learn than most children of the same age.
LSA (Learning Support Assistant, also Teaching Assistant): Works in schools supporting children with additional needs and the teacher to make learning easier.
Mainstream School: An LA-maintained school that is not special. Mainstream schools form the majority of schools and include Infant, Junior, Primary and Secondary schools.
Maintained School: A state school, including community, foundation and voluntary schools as well as community special and foundation special schools.
MLD (Moderate Learning Difficulties): Children who have greater difficulties in learning than 98% of children of the same age.
PMLD (Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties): Children who have other significant difficulties, such as physical disabilities, sensory impairment, or a severe medical condition, in addition to very severe learning difficulties. These children usually require a high level of adult support, both for their learning needs and for their personal care.
SEBD – Social, Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties.
SEN Co-ordinator (SENCo): A member of staff at a school or early education setting who takes responsibility for co-ordinating special educational needs (SEN) provision within that school.
SEN – Special Educational Needs: A child is described as having a special educational need if they have learning difficulties that call for special educational provision.
SLCN – Speech, Language and Communication Needs.
SLD (Severe Learning Difficulties): A child with severe learning difficulties has significant intellectual or cognitive impairments. This child may also have difficulties with mobility and co-ordination, communication, perception, and learning self-help skills. Children with severe learning difficulties normally need support across all areas of the school curriculum.
Who Can Help?
If any of these terms come up during your child’s assessment or education journey and you’re not sure what they mean, please get in touch — our team is happy to explain things in plain English.
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