A condition that affects behaviour, focus

and concentration.

A developmental disability that affects

communication and interaction with the world

All of the methods of communication

other than using speed

Children and Young People's Mental Health Services (formerly CAMHS)

NHS service that assesses and treats young people with emotional, behaviouralor mental health difficulties (Tier 3)

The 1st of the 4 areas of need

Statutory guidance for all organisations that

support CYP with SEND

Government department responsible for

children's services and education

Modified or adapted curriculum that meets

the different ability levels of learners

Senior health agency official who advises on matters

of public health

Taking longer to meet certain developmental

milestones than children of a similar age

The ability to request, make choices, ask questions,

answer and describe events

Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment

Evidence gathering process to help decide if an

Education, Health and Care plan is needed

Education, Health and Care Co-ordinator

(formerly SEN Officer)

The primary contact within the SEN team for CYP

with EHCPs, their families and schools

A legally binding document that describes the

needs of the CYP and sets out the extra

help and support needed

Choice made by parents to educate CYP at home

or in some other way away from school

Period from birth to age 4

Nursery and Reception years in education

Early help tool to identify needs and

organise the right support

Whole body movements - sitting, crawling,

throwing and catching, kicking a ball etc

High Needs Funding/

Local High Needs Funding

Top-up funding for CYP with needs that meet a

higher threshold for support

Called different things across schools.  Plan that sets

out the support that will be put in place to meet needs

Like a SENCo, but covers additional vulnerable groups

such as pupil premium, children looked after and those with English as an additional Language (EAL)

Reduced cognitive ability, difficulty with

every day activities and independence

Official body responsible for the organisation of all

public services and facilities in the area

Provides information to families of CYP with SEND about

what support services are available in the local area

Staff in schools that provide additional support to the

teacher and to some individual pupils

Language programme that uses signs and symbols

to help with communication

Maintained school or an Academy that is not a 

special school or an independent school

A way of sorting out differences between parties, 

often between parents and the local authority

Hearing and Vision loss. 

Some may be completelydeaf and blind.

The different ways that the brain works and

interprets information, highlighting that people

naturally think about things differently

Non-verbal or pre-verbal

Government body responsible for inspecting

schools and childcare providers

Common mental health condition where a person has

uncontrollable and reoccurring thoughts or behaviours

that they feel the urge to repeat over and over 

Multi-agency group that decides on the type of setting

that best meets the needs of a child

Funding that the Local Authority can give to parents or a young person over 16 years to secure particular provision that is specified in the Education, Health and Care Plan

Long term physical impairment that has a substantial

effect on the ability to carry our everyday activities

A severe learning disability that significantly affects

the ability to communicate and be independent.

Physical difficulty and/or medical need that creates a barrier 

to learning or to the setting.  Physical resources and

reasonable adjustments will need to be made.

Small specialist provisions for children with

SEND, attached to mainstream schools

EY settings that provide childcare from 0-5 years

and may be open 52 weeks of the year

A rating often used to show if targets

are on track to be met

Support and care for children who have difficulties

with communication, eating, drinking and swallowing

A learning difficulty or disability that means a

CYP may need special health or education support

Special Educational Needs (/Disabilities) Co-ordinator

The person in school responsible for ensuring

that the needs of CYP with SEND are met

Support that is different from or additional to

that which is generally given to other children

of the same age using the APDR cycle

A statutory document on a school website that

explains how a school supports CYP with SEND

Difficulties with speech sounds and/or

understanding of language

Dianosis of significant impaired intelligence

and impaired social functioning

A condition that affects how the brain

processes sensory information

An umbrella term for Dyslexia, Dysgraphia,

Dyscalculia and Dyspraxia

Schools that provide education specifically for

CYP with needs that can't be met in mainstream

Team of SEN Advisory teachers that support

schools and pupils with a range of needs

Social Communication, Emotional

Regulation and Transactional Support

A research based educational approach that supports

the core difficulties experienced by CYP with Autism

Centres attached to mainstream schools providing

access to a mainstream curriculum in a smaller and 

less stressful environment

The process of changing from one thing to

another - class, year group, school etc

Teaching, Expanding, Appreciating,

Collaborating/Cooperating and Holistic

An approach sometimes used with

Autistic children in school

A loss of sight that cannot be corrected

by glasses or lenses

An online tool that schools can use to

look at at needs holistically