| ABI | Acquired brain injury |
| Acute | The short term, crisis phase of an illness |
| ADD/ADHD | Attention deficit /hyperactivity disorder |
| Advices | The reports provided by professionals and parents as part of an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment |
| AR | Annual review. A yearly review of a statement of an Education, Health and Care Plan or Statement of Special Educational Needs. |
| ASC/ASD | Autistic spectrum condition/disorder |
| APO | Assessment and Planning Officer. Responsible for EHC assessments and plans in East Sussex. |
| BESD | Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties |
| BHISS | Brighton & Hove Inclusion Support Service - schools-based support for children and young people with SEND |
| CA | Classroom Assistant or Carers Allowance |
| CAMHS | Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service |
| CCG | Clinical Commissioning Group. Plans and funds health services. |
| Chronic | Persisting for a long time |
| CITS | Childrens Integrated Therapy Service (East Sussex) |
| CLASS | Communication Autism and Learning Support Service (East Sussex) |
| CoP | Code of practice. A guide that outlines how official bodies such as LAs should provide help or services, according to the law |
| Complex | More than one significant problem |
| Congenital | Present at birth |
| CWO | Casework Officer. Responsible for EHC assessments and plans in Brighton & Hove. |
| DDA | Disability Discrimination Act, replaced by the Equality Act 2010 |
| DfE | Department for Education |
| Diagnosis | Identification of a disease or condition |
| DLA | Disability living allowance |
| DWP | Department for Work and Pensions |
| EA | Equality Act |
| EAL | English as an additional language |
| EBD/EBSD | Emotional and behavioural (and social) difficulties |
| EHC needs assessment | A detailed examination of a child's needs in terms of education, health and social care by the LA, which may lead to an EHC Plan/EHCP |
| EHCP | Education, Health and Care Plan. A legally binding document that sets out a child's needs and all the extra help he or she should get. Replaced Statements of SEN. |
| EMAS | Ethnic Minority Achievement Service (Brighton & Hove) |
| ENT | Ear, nose and throat |
| EP | Educational Psychologist |
| EPS | Educational Psychology Service |
| ESBAS | Education Support Behaviour and Attendance Service (East Sussex) |
| EWO | Educational Welfare Officer. Work with schools, children and parents on attendance problems |
| EYSS | Early Years Support Service (East Sussex) |
| GDD | Global developmental delay. Implies that the child has delays in all areas of development |
| Genetic | Inherited |
| HI | Hearing impairment |
| IEP | Individual education plan. A program of learning objectives and teaching strategies for children with special educational needs |
| INCO | Inclusion Coordinator - sometimes called a SENCO |
| INT/INA | Individual Needs Teacher and Individual Needs Assistant |
| ISEND | Inclusion and Special Educational Needs and Disability Services (East Sussex) |
| LA | Local authority |
| LAC | Looked after child or children. Term for children who are adopted or fostered |
| LD/LDD | Learning difficulty or disability |
| LGO | Local government organisation or ombudsman |
| LSA | Learning Support Assistant |
| Mainstream | Ordinary state school |
| MLD | Moderate learning difficulties |
| MSI | Multi sensory impairment |
| Multi-disciplinary /multi-agency | Where all the professionals or organisations providing treatment or support come together to assess or discuss your child or your family situation |
| Needs assessment | Social care assessment to decide on the extra help and support your child needs |
| NEET | Not in education, employment or training |
| OT | Occupational Therapist |
| Outreach | Where a worker comes out to you and/or your child, rather than you having to go to them |
| PD | Physical difficulty |
| Percentile | A score attained in a test that compares a child with its age group |
| PIP | Personal independence payment |
| PMLD | Profound and multiple learning difficulties |
| Progressive | A condition which will go through a series of stages as it develops. Often suggests a condition will not improve |
| Provision map | A document that provides an 'at a glance' way of showing the provision a school makes for children with special and other additional needs |
| PRU | Pupil Referral Unit. A centre maintained by the local authority for children who can't attend a mainstream or special school |
| PSP | Pastoral Support Plan |
| Respite | Short-term breaks for parents or carers |
| SEMH | Social, emotional and mental health |
| SEN Support | Where the school or early years setting has identified that a child has SEN and needs additional support |
| SENCO | Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator. The member of staff in a mainstream school who is responsible for special educational needs within the school |
| SEND | Special educational needs and disabilities |
| SENDIASS | Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service. Every local authority has a duty to provide impartial advice and information to parents of children with SEND. Amaze is funded to provide the SENDIASS for Brighton & Hove and East Sussex |
| SENDIST | Special Educational Needs Disability Tribunal. An independent body that hears parents' appeals against LA decisions on EHC assessments and parents' claims of unlawful disability discrimination |
| Short breaks | Breaks for carers, sometimes called respite |
| 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 or Therapist |
| SNS | Sensory Needs Service |
| Special school | A school that makes specialist provision for pupils with special needs. |
| SpLD | Specific learning difficulty, for example dyslexia or dyspraxia |
| SPOA | Single Point of Advice (for social care assessment) |
| SSV | Seaside View Child Development Centre (Brighton & Hove) |
| TA | Teaching Assistant |
| TLP | Teaching and Learning Provision (East Sussex). Educational support for children not able to attend school for example inc. home education, children too sick to attend school and gypsy roma traveller children |
| TP | Transition Plan. A plan drawn up after the Year 9 annual review of an EHC Plan/EHCP, setting out the steps needed for the young person to move from school to adult life |
| VI | Visual impairment |
