Glossary
What the words mean, in plain English. The words that come up when you get help for your child, and the words we use in our own reports. Written for parents, not for professionals.
Each entry here is in plain English and says where it comes from, most often the NHS or gov.uk. Our clinicians have not read most of them yet. So if something looks wrong to you, it might be, and we would like to know.
Showing all 254 terms.
A
- Access arrangements Process
- ADD (attention deficit disorder) Condition
- Additional learning needs Stage
- Additional Learning Needs Coordinator (ALNCo) Also called Additional learning needs co-ordinator Person
- Additional support needs Stage
- ADHD Also called attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ICD-11 6A05) Condition
- ADHD or neurodivergence coach Person
- ADOS-2 Also called Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition Process
- Adult Disability Payment Process
- Advocacy Person
- Age equivalent Idea
- Alternative provision Process
- Amend, maintain or cease Process
- Annual review Process
- Anxiety in children Condition
- Anxious parent Idea
- Appeal Process
- ARFID Also called Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder Condition
- Asperger's syndrome Condition
- Assembly Dimensions Assembly word
- Assessed but below clinical diagnosis Assembly word
- Assessment report Document
- Assistant psychologist Person
- Attachment difficulties Idea
- Attention & Organisation Assembly word
- Attention seeking Idea
- Autism Also called autism spectrum disorder (ICD-11 6A02) Condition
- Autistic burnout Idea
B
C
- CAMHS Also called Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Idea
- Care (Education) and Treatment Review Process
- Care Act transition assessment Process
- Carer's Allowance Process
- Carer's assessment Process
- Ceasing to maintain an EHC plan Also called Ceasing to maintain an Education, Health and Care plan Process
- Centile Idea
- Challenging behaviour Idea
- Child Disability Payment Process
- Child in need Also called Child in need (Children Act 1989, section 17) Stage
- Child protection Process
- Child protection plan Document
- Child's Plan Document
- Clinical psychologist Person
- Clinical range Idea
- Co-occurring Idea
- Confidence interval Idea
- Conners rating scales Document
- Continuing care Also called Children and young people's continuing care Process
- Coordinated Support Plan (CSP) Also called Co-ordinated support plan Document
- Crisis team Also called Crisis resolution and home treatment team (CRHT) Person
- Cut-off Idea
D
- Demand avoidance Idea
- Descriptive range Idea
- Detained under the Mental Health Act Process
- Development area Assembly word
- Developmental history Process
- Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) Also called developmental language disorder (ICD-11 6A01.2) Condition
- Diagnosis journey Assembly word
- Diagnostic assessment Process
- Diagnostic overshadowing Idea
- Diagnostic panel Process
- diagnostic threshold Also called Diagnostic threshold Idea
- Did not attend Also called Did not attend (DNA) Stage
- Disability Discrimination Act 1995 Document
- Disability Living Allowance for children Also called Disability Living Allowance Process
- Disability Living Allowance in Scotland Also called Disability Living Allowance for children Process
- Disabled child element of Universal Credit Process
- Disabled under the Equality Act Also called Disability within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010, section 6 Stage
- Discharge Process
- DLA Also called Disability Living Allowance for children Process
- Draft EHC plan Also called Draft Education, Health and Care plan Document
- DRBI Also called Developmental Relationship-Based Intervention Process
- Dynamic support register Process
- Dyscalculia Also called developmental learning disorder with impairment in mathematics (ICD-11 6A03.2) Condition
- Dyslexia Also called developmental learning disorder with impairment in reading (ICD-11 6A03.0); 'specific learning difficulty' in UK education paperwork Condition
- Dyspraxia Also called developmental coordination disorder, DCD (NHS); developmental motor coordination disorder (ICD-11 6A04) Condition
- Dysregulation Idea
E
- Early help Process
- Education Authority (Northern Ireland) Person
- Education for children with health needs who cannot attend school Process
- Education Tribunal for Wales Person
- Educational psychologist Person
- EHC needs assessment Also called Education, health and care needs assessment Process
- EHCP Also called Education, Health and Care plan Document
- Elective home education Process
- Emotional & Physical Wellbeing Assembly word
- Emotional dysregulation Idea
- Emotional Regulation Assembly word
- Emotionally based school avoidance Idea
- Enquire Person
- EOTAS Also called Education otherwise than at school Process
- Epilepsy Also called epilepsy Condition
- Equality Act 2010 Document
- Exam access arrangements Process
- Executive function Idea
F
- Fabricated or induced illness (FII) and perplexing presentations (PP) Also called Fabricated or induced illness and perplexing presentations Process
- Final EHC plan Also called Final Education, Health and Care plan Document
- First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Health and Education Chamber) Person
- Five stages of the SEN Code (Northern Ireland) Process
- Flexibility & Routines Assembly word
- Formulation Document
- Full Scale IQ Also called Full Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ) Idea
G
H
I
- Identity-first language Idea
- Impairment Idea
- Impulsivity & Hyperactivity Assembly word
- Inattentive presentation Also called predominantly inattentive presentation (DSM-5) Idea
- Individual Development Plan (IDP) Also called Individual development plan Document
- Inferred from profile Assembly word
- Informal exclusion Idea
- Informant report Idea
- Information from school Process
- Integrated care board Person
- Internalised presentation of autism Idea
L
M
- "Mild" and "severe" autism Idea
- Managed move Process
- Mandatory reconsideration Process
- Masking Idea
- Masking at school, meltdown at home Idea
- Mediation Process
- Mediation certificate Document
- Meets criteria Stage
- Meltdown Idea
- Mental capacity and best interests Idea
- Mental health crisis line Process
- Motor Skills Assembly word
- Multi-disciplinary team Person
N
- Needs-led Idea
- Needs-led assessment Idea
- Neurodevelopmental Idea
- Neurodevelopmental pathway Process
- Neurodivergent Idea
- NHS 111 Person
- NHS complaints procedure Process
- NICE guidelines Also called National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance Document
- No or low concern area Assembly word
- Non-speaking Idea
- Not accepted for assessment Stage
O
P
- Paediatrician Person
- PALS Also called Patient Advice and Liaison Service Person
- Panel Process
- Parent carer needs assessment Process
- Parental preference Process
- Parenting programme referral Process
- Part-time timetable Process
- Pathological demand avoidance (PDA) Also called Pathological demand avoidance Idea
- PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified) Condition
- Penalty notice for absence Also called Penalty notice for unauthorised school absence Process
- Permanent exclusion Process
- Personal health budget Process
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Also called Personal Independence Payment Process
- Phase transfer Process
- Pre-referral information gathering Process
- Prescriber Person
- Priority area Assembly word
- Private assessment Process
- Psychiatrist Also called Child and adolescent psychiatrist Person
R
- re-referral Also called Referral made again after a decline, discharge or no-diagnosis outcome Process
- Reading age Idea
- Reasonable adjustments Process
- referral Also called Referral to a specialist service Process
- Referral criteria Process
- Referral to children's social care Process
- Refusal to assess Also called Decision not to carry out an EHC needs assessment Stage
- Refusal to issue a plan Also called Decision not to issue an education, health and care plan Stage
- Regression Idea
- Request for an EHC needs assessment Process
- Right to Choose Also called Legal right to choose your provider at NHS referral (England) Process
S
- "Special needs" Idea
- "Suffers from" Idea
- Safety plan Document
- Scaled score Idea
- School Action and School Action Plus Idea
- School refusal Idea
- SCQ Also called Social Communication Questionnaire Document
- Screening Process
- SEBD, EBD and BESD Also called Social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD); emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD); behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD) Idea
- second opinion Also called Second opinion from another clinician or team Process
- Section 17 Also called Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 Process
- Section 19 duty Also called Duty to make arrangements for suitable education, Education Act 1996, section 19 Process
- Section 42 duty Idea
- Section 47 enquiry Also called Enquiry under section 47 of the Children Act 1989 Process
- Section B of an EHC plan Document
- Section F of an EHC plan Document
- Section I of an EHC plan Document
- Selective mutism Condition
- SEN support Also called Special educational needs support Process
- SENAC Also called Special Educational Needs Advice Centre Person
- SENCO Also called Special educational needs co-ordinator Person
- SEND Also called Special educational needs and disabilities Idea
- SEND Tribunal Also called First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) Process
- SENDIASS Also called Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service Person
- Sensory Needs Assembly word
- Sensory overload Idea
- Sensory processing differences Idea
- Sensory processing disorder (SPD) Condition
- Sensory-integration trained occupational therapist Person
- Severe learning difficulties (SLD) Also called Severe learning difficulties Idea
- Shared care agreement Document
- Short breaks Process
- Shutdown Idea
- Single point of access Also called Single point of access (SPA) Process
- SNAP Cymru Person
- Social communication differences Idea
- Social cues Idea
- Social Interaction & Communication Assembly word
- Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) Also called Social, emotional and mental health Idea
- Soiling (encopresis) Also called Encopresis Condition
- Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (Northern Ireland) Person
- Specialist nurse Person
- Specific language impairment (SLI) Condition
- Specific learning difficulty Idea
- Speech and language therapist Person
- Standardised score Idea
- Statement of SEN in Northern Ireland Also called Statement of special educational needs Document
- Statement of special educational needs Document
- Statement of special educational needs (Northern Ireland) Document
- Statutory assessment (Northern Ireland) Process
- Stimming Idea
- Stimulant medication Idea
- Strategy meeting and initial child protection conference Process
- Sub-threshold Stage
- Suspension Also called Suspension (formerly fixed-period exclusion) Process
- Symptoms across two or more settings Idea
T
- Tantrum Idea
- Team around the family Also called Team Around the Family (TAF) Process
- This might look like Assembly word
- Threshold Idea
- Tic disorders and Tourette syndrome Also called primary tics or tic disorders (ICD-11 8A05.0), including Tourette syndrome (ICD-11 8A05.00) Condition
- Titration Also called Dose titration Process
- Traits Idea
- Transition to adult services Process
- Transitions Idea
- Triage Process
W
# Numbers and symbols
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