SEND Glossary

Term	Stands for	What this means
The SEND Statutory Team (Formally known as 0-25 Team)		The SEND Statutory Team is responsible for: Conducting EHC needs assessments, Maintaining and reviewing EHC plans, Coordinating the writing of EHC plans, and Helping children who need to transfer schools. For more information: https://www.devon.gov.uk/education-and-families/send-local-offer/who-to-contact-for-advice-and-guidance/
AR	Annual Review	The review of a child’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) involving the child, school, parents and other professionals.
AS/ASC	Autism Spectrum / Autism Spectrum Condition	Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. https://www.autism.org.uk/
CAMHS	Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service	CAMHS are the NHS services that assess and treat young people with emotional, behavioural and mental difficulties. https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/our-services/children-and-family-health-devon/camhs
CAMHS-LD	Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service – Learning Disabilities	Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service for Learning Disability (CAMHS-LD) work with children, young people and their families to provide support for moderate, severe and profound learning disabilities.
CoP	Code of Practice	This refers to the document which sets out the legal responsibilities of schools and local authorities in working with children with SEND. A copy can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/398815/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf
C & L	Cognition and Learning	This is an area of SEND in an Education, Health and Care Plan. Cognition refers to the thinking skills and thought processes that a child/young person has acquired through their prior experience. Learning needs are on a continuum and can vary across subjects and situations.
C & I	Communication and Interaction	This is an area of SEND in an Education, Health and Care Plan. Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) have difficulty in communicating with others. This may be because they have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is being said to them or they do not understand or use social rules of communication.
Communication Grids		These are grids containing symbols that allow the user to communicate through pointing or using eye-gaze.
Developmental Delay		A delay in reaching the normal stages of development, for example sitting, talking, walking, play.
Dysphagia		Dysphagia is the medical term for swallowing difficulties. Some people with dysphagia have problems swallowing certain foods or liquids, while others can't swallow at all.
EHCP	Education, Health and Care Plan	An Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) is a legal document which describes a child or young person's special educational needs, the support they need, and the outcomes they would like to achieve.
EP	Educational Psychologist	Educational Psychologists help children or young people who are experiencing difficulties that hinder their successful learning and participation in school and other activities. These problems can include a range of emotional and social problems or learning difficulties.
Expressive Language		How a child or young person expresses their ideas, thoughts and feelings through speech.
Fine Motor Skills		Fine motor skills involve small muscles working with the brain and nervous system to control movements in areas such as the hands, fingers, lips, tongue and eyes. Developing fine motor skills helps children do things like eating, writing, manipulating objects and getting dressed.
Global Delay		Global delay is when a child takes longer to reach certain development milestones than other children their age. This might include learning to walk or talk, movement skills, learning new things and interacting with others socially and emotionally.
Gross Motor Skills		Gross motor (physical) skills are those which require whole body movement and which involve the large (core stabilising) muscles of the body to perform everyday functions, such as standing and walking, running and jumping, and sitting upright at the table.
Health Care Plan		Health Care Plans are written for children who have additional medical needs that adults working with the child need to be aware of. These may include severe allergies, epilepsy or other health conditions.
HI	Hearing Impairment	A degree of hearing loss.
Hydro / Hydrotherapy		Hydrotherapy is exercises carried out in warm, shallow water. The water can help relax and support the muscles and joints, while providing resistance to help the child or young person gradually get stronger or maintain their strength.
IEP	Individual Education Plan	An IEP is a detailed plan that sets out targets and strategies to help your child progress. An IEP will usually contain three or four individual, short-term targets for your child to focus on that are related to the outcomes in their EHCP.
Intensive Interaction		Intensive Interaction is an approach to helping individuals who are in the early stages of developing communication and social skills. It’s about watching closely how a child or adult responds to different situations through their body language, voice and facial expressions – and responding to this.
LA	Local Authority	The Local Authority is responsible for a child or young person’s EHCP and ensuring that the appropriate provision, school placement, and level of funding required is in place. Combe Pafford is in Torbay LA.
Local Offer		This is information from the Local Authority about the provision available for children and young people with SEND in their area. Torbay's Local Offer can be found here: https://www.torbay.gov.uk/send
Makaton		Makaton is a unique language programme that uses symbols, signs and speech to enable people to communicate. It supports the development of essential communication skills such as attention and listening, comprehension, memory, recall and organisation of language and expression.
MSI	Multiple Sensory Impairment	Multi-Sensory Impairment (MSI) means that a child or young person has impairments with both sight and hearing. Their sensory loss may be present at birth or acquired later.
OT	Occupational Therapy	Occupational therapy (OT) is a branch of health care that helps people of all ages who have physical, sensory, or cognitive problems. OT can help them regain independence in all areas of their lives. Occupational therapists help with barriers that affect a person's emotional, social, and physical needs. To do this, they use everyday activities, exercises, and other therapies.
Orthotics		Orthotic services provide prescription insoles, braces, splints, callipers, footwear, spinal jackets and helmets which help people recover from or avoid injury, or live with lifelong conditions.
PECS	Picture Exchange Communication System	PECS allows people with little or no communication abilities to communicate using pictures. People using PECS are taught to approach another person and give them a picture of a desired item in exchange for that item. By doing so, the person is able to initiate communication.
Personalised Curriculum		Having a curriculum that is designed to meet a child or young person’s individual needs.
Physio		Physiotherapy helps to restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness or disability
PFA	Preparing for Adulthood	Devon’s PFA team works with 14-25 year olds. The purpose of the team is to help facilitate and support young people, their families, stakeholders, providers and communities to find solutions that enable young people and young adults to continue to live at home or independently within their community.
PMLD	Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties	PMLD refers to when a person has a severe learning disability and other disabilities that significantly affect their ability to communicate and be independent. Someone with PMLD might have difficulties seeing, hearing, speaking and moving. They may have complicated health and social care needs due to these or other conditions. They may also need support to help them with some areas of their life, such as eating, washing or personal care.
SALT	Speech and Language Therapy	Speech and language therapy provides treatment, support and care for children who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking and swallowing.
SHN	School Health Nurse	School health nurses can provide assessment of medical needs, guidance for parents and school staff and signpost to other NHS services that may be beneficial for a child/young person.
SEMH	Social Emotional and Mental Health	This is an area of SEND in an Education, Health and Care Plan. Children and young people may experience a wide range of SEMH difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways, e.g. becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging or disruptive behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. Others may have disorders such as ADHD or attachment disorder.
SEND	Special Educational Needs and Disability	A child or young person has special educational needs and disabilities if they have a learning difficulty or a disability that means they need special health and education support.
SENDCo	Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinator	The SENDCo is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEND policy. They will chair the majority of annual review meetings and liaise with outside agencies.
SI	Sensory Impairment	A sensory impairment is when one of the senses – sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste or spatial awareness – is not working as it should.
SLD	Severe Learning Difficulties	A child/ young person with SLD will have significant problems with intellect and cognition.
SpLD	Specific Learning Difficulties	A specific learning difficulty (SpLD) means that someone has a difference or difficulty with one or more certain parts of learning. Having a SpLD does not mean that children and young people cannot achieve and succeed in learning. Examples of SpLD’s include dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, ADHD.
VI	Visual Impairment	Visual impairment is the term used to describe a loss of sight that cannot be corrected using glasses or contact lenses.

Last Updated: 13^th December 2024