Corrections checked 22 September 2026: We reviewed all 43 definitions and corrected legal scope, local service criteria and unsupported report and placement claims using linked official and professional sources. This was an AI-assisted editorial review, not qualified clinical, legal or welfare-rights sign-off.

SEND Jargon Glossary

The SEND world is full of acronyms and jargon that nobody explains. This glossary explains common terms used in reports, school letters and support services. Education-law entries concern England; benefit and service entries explain their own scope. Follow the linked guides for the rules and exceptions that may apply to your family.

A

AAC — Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Any method of communication used alongside or instead of speech. This includes picture exchange systems, sign language, communication apps, and speech-generating devices. Where assessment shows AAC is necessary special educational provision, it can be specified in Section F of an EHC plan.
ABA — Applied Behaviour Analysis: Approaches that apply principles of learning and behaviour to understand behaviour and teach skills. Programmes, goals and practices differ. Ask what sessions involve, how the child’s preferences and distress are respected, and how benefits and possible harms will be reviewed. The label alone does not establish suitability for a child.
ADHD — Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A neurodevelopmental condition affecting attention, impulse control, and activity levels. ADHD can be primarily inattentive, primarily hyperactive-impulsive, or combined, and can co-occur with autism. Kent waiting times vary by service, age, area and stage. Ask the responsible service for a current estimate and ask the GP whether patient-choice rules apply to the particular referral.
Annual Review: The statutory review of an EHCP in England. The first must take place within 12 months of the plan being made and each later review within 12 months of the previous review. For a child attending school, the education setting normally arranges the meeting and the parent or young person must be invited. The local authority must notify its decision to maintain, amend or cease the plan within four weeks of the meeting; that decision letter explains any appeal right. See our annual review guide.
ASD — Autism Spectrum Disorder: A medical term for an autism diagnosis, used in diagnostic reports and NHS letters. People have different preferences about the language used to describe them; ask and respect the person’s preference. See the NHS explanation of autism.

B

BSL — British Sign Language: A language used by Deaf people, with its own grammar rather than the grammar of spoken English. The British Sign Language Act 2022 recognises BSL as a language of England, Wales and Scotland. A child’s communication needs and necessary educational provision should be considered individually in the EHC assessment and planning process.

C

CAMHS — Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: NHS mental health services for children and young people; you may also see names such as CYPMHS. Services, ages and referral routes differ locally. Ask the responsible Kent or Medway service which pathway applies, rather than assuming that mental health and autism or ADHD assessment use the same route. See our support while waiting guide.
Care Component: One of two parts of Disability Living Allowance (DLA). The care component is based on how much extra help your child needs with personal care, supervision, and watching over, compared to a non-disabled child of the same age. It comes in three rates: lowest, middle, and highest.

D

DLA — Disability Living Allowance: A tax-free benefit for children under 16 who meet qualifying care or mobility conditions because of a disability or health condition. This glossary describes child DLA in England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland have different benefit or application routes. A formal diagnosis is not a stated eligibility requirement. DLA has care and mobility components. See our DLA guide and non-scoring criteria reflection tool.

E

EHC Needs Assessment: The process in England where the local authority gathers advice and evidence about a child or young person’s needs. A parent, a young person over compulsory school age and under 25, or someone acting for their school or post-16 institution can make a statutory request; others can bring needs to the authority’s attention. The decision whether to assess is normally due within six weeks of receiving the request. If a plan is to be issued, the final plan is normally due within 20 weeks of that receipt, subject to specified exceptions. See our step-by-step guide.
EHCP — Education, Health and Care Plan: A statutory plan in England describing special educational, health and social-care needs, outcomes and provision. Under section 42 of the Children and Families Act 2014, the local authority must secure Section F special educational provision and the responsible commissioning body must arrange Section G health care provision, subject to the statutory exceptions. Other sections have different duties and remedies. See our application guide and checklist.
EP / EdPsych — Educational Psychologist: A psychologist specialising in learning and development. During an EHC needs assessment, the local authority must seek educational-psychology advice, unless the rules allowing sufficient existing advice apply. A privately purchased report is not a prerequisite for requesting an assessment, and being privately funded does not automatically give it greater weight. See our EP and EHCP guide and Kent EP directory.
EYFS — Early Years Foundation Stage: The statutory framework for children from birth to age 5 in England. It sets standards for learning, development, and care. If your child has SEND in the early years, they may receive support through an EHCP or SEN Support within their nursery or reception class.

F

FE — Further Education: Education and training after secondary school, such as college or sixth-form study. Some young people need an EHC plan beyond 19 to complete education or training, but there is no automatic entitlement to keep a plan until 25. Continuing or ending a plan depends on the individual statutory tests and process. Higher education has a different support system. See our transition guide.

H

HCPC — Health and Care Professions Council: The UK regulator for professions including occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and practitioner psychology. Educational psychologist is a protected title. Check the person’s current entry on the HCPC register. Registration is a regulatory check; it does not establish that a particular service is suitable for your child.

I

IASK — Information, Advice and Support Kent: Kent’s free, impartial SEND information, advice and support service for children, young people and families. Ask IASK what help is available for your situation; meeting attendance or representation is not automatic. Medway has a separate local SEND advice service. In England, local authorities must arrange SEND information and advice.
IEP — Individual Education Plan: A name some schools use for a plan recording a pupil’s needs, targets, support and review arrangements. Schools may use other names, such as a SEN Support plan or provision map: the SEND Code lets schools choose their approach to record keeping while saying support records should be accurate and current. An EHCP does not remove the need for useful day-to-day planning and review.
IPSEA — Independent Provider of Special Education Advice: A charity providing information and advice on SEND law in England. Its services include advice about EHC assessments, appeals and exclusions, with different access arrangements and limits. Check IPSEA’s current advice services; individual representation is not guaranteed.
ISP — Individual Support Plan: A proposed setting-level plan in England’s 2026 SEND reforms for recording needs and day-to-day provision. The proposals include ISPs alongside specialist EHCPs, as well as for children without an EHCP. The proposed new duties have not replaced current EHCP rights. See our SEND reforms guide.

K

Key Worker: A named worker who helps coordinate support within a particular service or programme. What the role covers, who can use the service and whether a worker is available depend on that service. Ask who is coordinating the child’s support and how the professionals will share agreed information.

L

LA — Local Authority: The council with the relevant local responsibilities. Kent County Council and Medway Council are separate authorities. In England, the local authority leads EHC assessment and planning and has duties for Section F educational provision; health provision has a different responsible body. Transport and social-care support have their own rules and are not automatic consequences of having an EHCP.
Local Offer: Information each English local authority must publish about SEND education, health, care and other provision it expects to be available in and beyond its area. It should help families understand routes and eligibility. A listing does not guarantee a place or entitlement. Use the Local Offer for the council where you live; Kent County Council and Medway Council publish separate offers.

M

Makaton: A communication programme using signs, symbols and speech. Signs support speech in spoken-word order. It is different from BSL, which has its own grammar. The Makaton Charity explains the programme; communication support should be chosen for the individual.
Mediation: A meeting run by an independent mediator to try to resolve an EHC-plan disagreement. Taking part in a meeting is optional. Most EHC appeals require contact with a mediation adviser and a certificate first, but a placement-only Section I appeal is exempt. The usual appeal deadline is the later of two months from the date on the decision letter or one month from the mediation certificate. Kent's current mediation page links to Global Mediation.
Mobility Component: The second part of DLA. It has lower and higher rates with different legal tests. DWP considers the individual child's mobility needs, including applicable guidance or supervision needs; autism does not predict entitlement or a rate.

N

NAS — National Autistic Society: A UK charity for autistic people and their families. It provides information and training, campaigns for better support, and offers a non-urgent Parent-to-Parent emotional-support callback requested through its website.

O

OT — Occupational Therapist / Occupational Therapy: A professional concerned with participation in everyday activities, which may include self-care, play, school tasks and sensory needs. A relevant assessment may help identify needs and provision. In an EHC plan, OT that educates or trains is treated as special educational provision; the actual support matters, not just the therapist’s title. NHS routes and eligibility vary. See our Kent OT directory.

P

PECS — Picture Exchange Communication System: A named picture-exchange communication teaching approach developed by Pyramid Educational Consultants. It is one approach within AAC, not a name for every picture board or communication system. Ask a speech and language therapist about the individual’s communication needs, preferences and suitable options. See Pyramid’s description of PECS.
PIP — Personal Independence Payment: A disability benefit with eligibility criteria different from DLA. In England, young people receiving DLA are normally invited to apply around age 16; their benefit does not automatically switch on their birthday. Follow the deadline in DWP’s letter and check its current transition guidance. See our transition guide.
PMLD — Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities: A term for people with profound learning disabilities and additional significant disabilities or health needs, often involving substantial help with communication and everyday activities. The term does not by itself decide whether an EHCP is necessary or which school is suitable. Needs, provision and placement require individual consideration.
Portage: Early educational support that works with families through play and small learning steps. Kent’s Portage service currently supports pre-school children who are not attending an early years setting and have significant delay in two or more developmental areas. It offers group and home-learning sessions; parents or professionals can refer and a diagnosis is not required. Check the current criteria before referring.
PRU — Pupil Referral Unit: A type of alternative-provision school in England. Alternative provision may be arranged when a child would otherwise lack suitable education because of exclusion, illness or other reasons. The duration, placement and reintegration arrangements depend on the child’s circumstances; a return to a particular school is not guaranteed. If an EHCP or exclusion is involved, seek advice before agreeing to a change.

S

SALT / SLT — Speech and Language Therapist / Therapy: A therapist who helps children with communication difficulties — including speech sounds, understanding language, using language, stammering, and social communication. A relevant SALT assessment can provide evidence for an EHC needs assessment or review. NHS availability varies; ask the responsible service for current information. See our Kent SALT directory.
SEN — Special Educational Needs: In England, a child or young person has SEN where a learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision. This includes relevant provision additional to or different from what is generally made for others of the same age. SEN and disability overlap but are not identical: a disability or health condition does not automatically mean someone has SEN.
SENCO — Special Educational Needs Coordinator: The member of staff designated to coordinate SEN provision. In England, mainstream maintained schools, mainstream academies and maintained nursery schools must designate a SENCO. The role includes coordinating support and liaising with families and other professionals. Ask the setting who its SENCO is and how to discuss your child’s needs.
SEND — Special Educational Needs and Disabilities: Special educational needs and disabilities. The terms overlap but do not mean the same thing. England’s SEND Code of Practice is statutory guidance for specified education, local-authority and health bodies, and the Tribunal. Other UK nations have different education frameworks.
SENDIST — Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal: An older name and acronym still found in some documents. The current name is the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability), usually shortened to the SEND Tribunal. See the official GOV.UK appeal guide and our tribunal guide.
SEND Tribunal: The independent First-tier Tribunal in England that hears appeals about specified EHC decisions, including refusals to assess or reassess, refusals to issue a plan, Sections B, F and I, and decisions to cease a plan. Use the official appeal routes: refusal-to-assess appeals use SEND35A, while other eligible appeals have SEND35 or online routes. See our Tribunal guide.
Sensory Integration / Sensory Processing: Terms about how sensory information is processed and experienced. Some autistic people find particular sounds, textures, light or movement difficult or seek sensory input. Sensory integration therapy is a specific intervention, not another name for every form of sensory support. Assessment, goals and review should focus on the individual’s everyday participation; a therapy label alone does not establish benefit or EHC entitlement. See our sensory support guide.
SLD — Severe Learning Disability: A term for significant learning disabilities affecting learning and everyday skills. Support needs differ between people. The label alone does not decide entitlement to an EHCP or a particular type of school; decisions need to consider the person’s assessed needs and the applicable legal tests.
SOS!SEN — SOS Special Educational Needs: An independent charity providing SEND information and advice. It advertises a free helpline during term time and other advice, appointment and document services. Check SOS!SEN’s current services for availability, scope and any charges or requested donations. It is not a solicitors’ firm.

T

Transition Plan: Planning for a move between stages of education or towards adult life. In England, EHC annual reviews from Year 9 onwards must consider provision needed to prepare for adulthood and independent living. Year 9 is usually ages 13–14; planning should reflect the young person’s own aspirations and needs. See our transition guide.

W

Working Document (EHCP): A version of the EHC plan used during a contents appeal to show proposed wording, agreements and remaining disputes, following the Tribunal’s directions. It is not the same as the pre-finalisation draft plan. Parents and young people must normally be given at least 15 days beginning with the day the draft plan is served to make representations; a Tribunal Working Document follows the case directions.