Jargon Busters — The Chance Hub

Annual Review: A yearly meeting to look at how a child's Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is working and whether it needs updating. Schools must hold one every year, and parents have the right to attend and contribute.
AP: Alternative Provision. Education outside mainstream school for children who need a different environment. This might be a pupil referral unit (PRU), a specialist setting, online learning, or a bespoke package of support.
ASD / ASC: Autism Spectrum Disorder / Autism Spectrum Condition. Two terms for the same thing — many people prefer 'condition' as it feels less medical. Autism affects how a person communicates, processes information, and experiences the world.
ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. A neurodevelopmental condition affecting attention, impulse control, and sometimes activity levels. It can look very different in different children — and in girls it is often missed.

CAF: Common Assessment Framework. A shared tool used by professionals across education, health, and social care to assess a child's needs and coordinate support. It helps avoid families having to repeat their story to every different service.
CAMHS: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. The NHS service that supports children and young people with emotional, behavioural, or mental health difficulties. Waiting times can be long — your GP or SENCO can make a referral.
CIN: Child in Need Plan. A plan put in place by children's social care to support families where extra help is needed but safeguarding thresholds have not been met. It brings together professionals to coordinate support around the family.
CYP: Children and Young People. You will see this abbreviation used throughout official SEND documents and strategies.

DLD: Developmental Language Disorder. A condition where a child has significant difficulties understanding and/or using language, without an obvious cause. It affects around 2 children in every classroom and is often undiagnosed.
DLA: Disability Living Allowance. A benefit for children under 16 with a disability or health condition who need extra care or have difficulty getting around. It is not means-tested — it does not matter how much you earn. There are two components: care and mobility, each with different rates depending on your child's needs.
DSP / SRP: Designated Specialist Provision / Specialist Resource Provision. A specialist unit attached to a mainstream school, designed for children with specific needs — such as autism, speech and language difficulties, or hearing impairment — who can benefit from being part of a wider school community.
DCD: Developmental Coordination Disorder. Also known as dyspraxia. Affects physical coordination and can make everyday tasks like writing, getting dressed, or playing sport more challenging.

Early Help: Support offered to children and families before needs escalate to a higher level of intervention. It can involve a range of services — family support workers, school-based help, parenting programmes, or community services. It is usually voluntary and led by whoever is best placed to help.
EHCP: Education, Health and Care Plan. A legal document for children and young people aged 0–25 with significant SEND needs. It describes their needs, the outcomes they are working towards, and the support they must receive. Schools and local authorities are legally required to deliver what is written in it.
EHC Needs Assessment: The process of gathering information to decide whether a child needs an EHCP. Parents, schools, and professionals can all request one. The local authority has 20 weeks to complete the process from the date of the request.
EP / Ed Psych: Educational Psychologist. A specialist who assesses children's learning, development, and behaviour, and advises schools and families. Their report is often a key part of an EHCP assessment.
EOTAS: Education Other Than At School. When a child's education is delivered entirely outside a school setting — for example, through home tuition, online learning, therapeutic provision, or a bespoke package arranged by the local authority. It can be written into an EHCP.

FWIW / FYI: You may see these in emails from professionals — 'For What It's Worth' and 'For Your Information'. Not SEND-specific, but worth knowing if you are new to professional correspondence.

Graduated Response: A cycle of Assess, Plan, Do, Review used by schools to support children with SEND before an EHCP is in place. The school identifies a child's needs, puts support in place, and reviews whether it is working — adjusting as they go.

High Needs Funding (HNF): Additional funding allocated to schools and local authorities to support children whose needs require more resource than a school's standard budget can cover. It is managed by the local authority and used to fund specialist provision, additional staffing, and equipment.

Inclusion: The principle and practice of ensuring that children with SEND can participate fully in school life — in lessons, activities, trips, and the wider community of the school. Inclusion is not just about being physically present; it means genuinely belonging.
Intervention: A specific, targeted piece of support delivered to a child to address a particular need — for example, speech therapy, a reading programme, social skills group, or small-group maths work. Interventions should be time-limited, evidence-based, and regularly reviewed.
IPSEA: Independent Provider of Special Education Advice. A charity offering free, independent legal advice to families of children with SEND. If you are in a dispute with your local authority, IPSEA is one of the first places to contact.

Key Stage: The stages of the national curriculum in England: KS1 (Years 1–2), KS2 (Years 3–6), KS3 (Years 7–9), KS4 (Years 10–11). You will often hear these when discussing your child's progress or transition planning.

LA: Local Authority. Your local council — the body responsible for SEND provision in your area, including issuing EHCPs, funding specialist placements, and running the Local Offer.
Local Offer: A website that every local authority in England is legally required to publish, listing the SEND services, support, and information available in their area — covering education, health, and social care for children and young people aged 0–25.

Mainstream School: A general school — not a specialist or special school — where most children are educated. Mainstream schools are required by law to make reasonable adjustments to support pupils with SEND, and to follow the SEND Code of Practice.
Mediation: A process where a neutral third party helps parents and the local authority reach an agreement, usually when there is a disagreement about an EHCP. You must consider mediation before appealing to the SEND Tribunal.
MLD / SLD / PMLD: Moderate Learning Difficulties / Severe Learning Difficulties / Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties. These terms describe the level of cognitive and learning need a child has been assessed as having. They are often used in EHCPs and school placement decisions.

Neurodivergent: A term describing people whose brains develop or work differently from what is considered typical. It includes conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and others. It is often used by individuals and families as a positive, identity-affirming way to describe difference rather than deficit.

OT: Occupational Therapist. A health professional who helps children develop the skills needed for everyday life — things like dressing, writing, and sensory processing. OT support can be included in an EHCP.
Outcomes: The specific goals written into an EHCP — what the child is expected to achieve with the right support in place. Outcomes should be ambitious, measurable, and reviewed at each Annual Review.
OAIP: Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision. A document published by your local authority that sets out the support all schools in the area should be providing as standard — without needing an EHCP. It describes what "good" looks like for children with SEND in mainstream settings, covering things like quality-first teaching, reasonable adjustments, and early intervention.

Parent Carer Forum (PCF): A local group that represents the views and experiences of families of children and young people with SEND. Parent Carer Forums work with local authorities, schools, and health services to influence decisions and improve support. They are funded to ensure parent and carer voices are heard at a strategic level.
PACE: Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy. A therapeutic parenting approach often recommended for children who have experienced trauma or have attachment difficulties. It focuses on connection over correction.
PDA: Pathological Demand Avoidance. A profile on the autism spectrum characterised by an extreme need to avoid everyday demands and expectations. It requires a very different approach to parenting and education.
PEP: Personal Education Plan. A statutory plan for children who are looked after (in the care of the local authority). It is reviewed three times a year and sets out how the child's school will support their educational progress, wellbeing, and aspirations.
Personal Budget: Money that can be allocated to a family to spend on support identified in an EHCP. It gives families more choice and control over how their child's needs are met.
PIP: Personal Independence Payment. A benefit for people aged 16 and over who need extra help with daily living or mobility because of a disability or long-term health condition. It is not means-tested — it does not matter what you earn or have in savings.
Provision: The support, strategies, therapies, or interventions written into an EHCP or provided by a school to meet a child's SEND needs. Provision can include things like one-to-one support, speech and language therapy, sensory breaks, specialist equipment, or a reduced timetable.

Reasonable Adjustments: Changes a school or service must make to remove barriers for children with SEND. This also includes further education and the workplace when your child reaches adulthood.
RRSA: Rights Respecting Schools Award. A UNICEF programme that puts children's rights at the heart of school life. Not SEND-specific, but relevant if your child's school holds this award.

SALT / SLT: Speech and Language Therapist / Therapy. A specialist who assesses and supports children with communication, language, and swallowing difficulties. SALT is one of the most commonly requested provisions in EHCPs.
SEND: Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. An umbrella term for any learning difficulty or disability that makes it harder for a child to learn than most children of the same age.
SENCO: Special Educational Needs Coordinator. The teacher in a school responsible for coordinating support for pupils with SEND. Every school must have one. They are your first point of contact if you have concerns about your child's needs.
SEMH: Social, Emotional and Mental Health. A category of need describing difficulties with emotional regulation, relationships, behaviour, anxiety, trauma, or mental health.
Sensory Needs: Differences in how a child processes sound, light, touch, movement, and other sensory input. A child may be oversensitive (finding certain sensations overwhelming) or undersensitive (seeking out more stimulation). Sensory processing differences are common in autistic children and those with ADHD, DCD, and other conditions.
SEN Support: The level of support a school provides before an EHCP is in place. Schools are expected to follow a cycle of Assess, Plan, Do, Review to meet a child's needs at this stage.
SENDIST / SEND Tribunal: The Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal. An independent body that hears appeals from parents who disagree with decisions made by their local authority about their child's EHCP.
Special School / Special Needs School: A school specifically designed for children with significant or complex SEND needs, with specialist staff, smaller classes, and tailored environments. Special schools cater for a range of needs — some are for children with a specific condition such as autism or hearing impairment; others support a broader range of complex needs.
Statutory Assessment: The formal process carried out by a local authority to decide whether a child needs an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). It involves gathering information from parents, school, health professionals, and other relevant services. The local authority must decide within six weeks of receiving a request whether to proceed with the assessment.

TA / LSA: Teaching Assistant / Learning Support Assistant. A member of school staff who works alongside teachers to support children in the classroom — including children with SEND. They may work one-to-one with a child, support a small group, or help manage the classroom environment.
TAC / TAF: Team Around the Child / Team Around the Family. A group of professionals and family members who come together to coordinate support for a child with complex needs. Meetings are usually chaired by a lead professional.
Therapies: Therapeutic support provided to children with SEND to address specific needs. This includes Speech and Language Therapy (SALT), Occupational Therapy (OT), physiotherapy, and mental health interventions such as play therapy, CBT, or counselling. Therapies can be delivered by the NHS, through school, or privately.
Tribunal: A legal process where families can appeal decisions made by their local authority about their child's SEND support. The First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) — often called the SEND Tribunal — is an independent body that hears appeals about EHCPs, including refusals to assess, refusals to issue a plan, the content of a plan, and the school named in it. You must obtain a mediation certificate before you can appeal.
Transition: The process of moving between stages — for example, from primary to secondary school, or from children's to adult services. Good transition planning should start early and involve the young person themselves.

Young Carer: A child or young person who provides unpaid care for a family member with a disability, illness, or mental health condition. Young carers have their own rights to assessment and support.
YP: Young Person. In SEND contexts this usually refers to someone aged 16–25 — the age range covered by the EHCP system. Once a young person turns 16, they gain their own legal rights in the SEND process, including the right to make decisions about their own EHCP, attend reviews independently, and appeal to the Tribunal in their own name.

Plain English, no confusion.

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