Jargon Buster

Confused by all the jargon?

Here you can find a glossary of the terminology and abbreviations commonly used by professionals who work with neurodivergence, SEN and early life trauma.

Please note that as an organisation we prefer to use neuro-affirming language, but have included some terminology that doesn’t align with these language values to help you understand what they mean.

A

AAC Augmentative & Alternative Communication

ACE Adverse Childhood Experience

ADD/ADHD Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Alexithymia (sometimes called ’emotion blindness’) Difficulties in recognising, identifying, understanding and/or verbalising emotions/feelings

Annual Review The process of ensuring an EHCP continues to describe a child’s needs and how they should be met through a meeting help once per year

ARFID Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder

ASC/ASD Autistic Spectrum Condition/Disorder

ATU Assessment and Treatment Unit- for short term admissions for those with severe mental health problems

B

C

CAMHS Children & Adolescent Mental Health Services

CCG Clinical Commissioning Group (plans & funds health services)

CIN Children In Need

CMHT Community Mental Health Team (adults)

Commissioning When someone is paid to deliver a service

Complex More than one significant problem/challenge

Congenital Present at birth

Co-Production Equal partnership working between service providers, those in receipt of the service and their families

CPP Child Protection Plan

CYP Children & Young People

CYPIT Children & Young People’s Integrated Therapies

D

DBS Disclosure & Barring Service

DCD Developmental Coordination Disorder or Dyspraxia

DfE Department of Education

Diagnosis Identification of a condition

DLA Disability Living Allowance

Direct Payment A payment made directly to a parent/carer or young person to purchase specific services

DS Down’s Syndrome

DWP Department for Work and Pensions

E

EBSA Emotionally Based School Avoidance

ED Eating Disorder

EDI Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

EHA Early Help Assessment (formerly known as CAF)

EHC needs assessment A detailed examination of a child’s educational, health and social care needs done by the Local Authority (LA)

EHCP Education, Health and Care Plan. A legally binding document setting out a child’s needs and any extra help they should get. A possible outcome of an EHC needs assessment

Emotional regulation The ability to effectively manage and control one’s emotional responses to various situations. Sensory sensitivities can impact emotional regulation as this can lead to a greater tendency to be overwhelmed.

EOTAS Education Otherwise Than At School

EP Educational Psychologist

EPS Educational Psychology Service

Executive Function Set of mental skills that help you plan and manage daily activities

F

FASC/FASD Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Condition/Disorder

FE Further Education (full or part time education for people over 16 which does not take place in schools or universities)

G

GAD Generalised Anxiety Disorder

GDD Global Developmental Delay (implies delays in all areas of development)

Genetic Inherited

H

HLTA Higher Level Teaching Assistant

Hyperfocus An intense fixation on an interest or activity for an extended period of time. People who experience hyperfocus often become so engrossed they block out the world around them.

I

ICB Integrated Care Board. Responsible for local NHS services

IEP Individual Education Plan. Program of learning objectives/teaching strategies

Interoception How we interpret internal bodily sensations (e.g. hunger and thirst)

J

K

KS1 Key Stage 1 (reception-school year 2)

KS2 Key Stage 2 (school years 3-6)

KS3 Key Stage 3 (school years 11-14)

KS4 Key Stage 4 (school years 14-16)

L

LA Local Authority

LAC Looked After Children (adopted/fostered/kinship care)

LD/LDD Learning difficulty/disability

Local Offer A directory/website outlining provision available in the local area for SEND

LSA Learning Support Assistant

M

Mainstream An education setting teaching pupils of a wide range, not a special school or referral unit

Masking Strategies people may use to hide autistic characteristics, whether consciously or unconsciously

Misophonia Intense emotional reactions to certain everyday sounds that most people would find relatively easy to ignore

MLD Moderate Learning Disabilities

Mouth words Using mouth words is communicating through speaking words with your mouth

MSI Multi-Sensory Impairment

Multi-disciplinary/Multi-agency Several professionals involved in an individual’s care come together

N

ND Neurodiverse/Neurodiversity

NDP Neurodevelopmental Pathway

Needs Assessment Social care assessment to decide on  extra help and support a child needs

Neurodivergent An umbrella term encompassing various thinking, communication, and learning styles that differ from what is considered ‘standard’/‘neurotypical’

Neurodiversity A word used to describe the naturally occurring range of different thinking styles and variations in human brains. It applies to everyone and implies that there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to think, feel and learn

O

OCD Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

ODD Oppositional Defiance Disorder

OT Occupational Therapist

P

Paediatrician A doctor specialising in children’s health

PDA Pathological Demand Avoidance. A persistent resistance to demands experienced by some autistic people

Percentile A score attainted in a test that compares an individual with their age group

PIP Personal Independence Payment

PMLD Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities

Progressive A condition which will go through a series of stages as it develops

Provision Map A document providing an ‘at a glance’ way of showing the provision an educational setting makes for children with SEN or other additional needs

Q

R

Reasonable Adjustments Changes that can be made to reduce inequalities faced by autistic people in line with the Equality Act (2010) and Autism Act (2009)

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) When you experience severe emotional pain because of a failure or feeling rejected. This condition is linked to ADHD

Respite Short-term breaks for parents/carers

S

SEMH Social, Emotional and Mental Health

SEN/SEND Special Educational Needs/Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

SENCO Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator. The member of staff in an educational setting who is responsible for SEN within the school

SENDIASS Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service. Every local authority has the responsibility to provide impartial advice and information to parents of children with SEND

SEND Tribunal An independent body that hears parents’ appeals against local authority decisions on EHC needs assessments and parents’ claims of unlawful disability discrimination

Situational Mutism (SM) (sometimes referred to as ‘selective’ mutism) Where an individual is able to communicate using mouth words in some social situations, but not able to in others

SLD Severe Learning Difficulties (can sometimes refer to speech and language difficulties too)

SLCN Speech, language and communication needs

SLT/SaLT Speech and Language Therapy/Therapist

SM Selective Mutism

SNS Sensory Needs Service

SPD Sensory Processing Difficulty

Special School An educational setting that makes specialist provisions for pupils with special needs

SpLD Specific Learning Difficulty (e.g. dyslexia, dyspraxia)

T

TA Teaching Assistant

TP Transition Plan

U

V

VI Visual Impairment

W

X

Y

Z