Jargon Buster and Terminology

AR - Annual Review

APDR - Access, Plan, Do, Review

ASCETS – Autism and Social Communication Education and Training Service

BOSS - Behaviour Outreach Support Service

CAF- Common Assessment Framework (now superseded by the EHA)

CAMHS - Child and Young Person Mental Health Service

CPD – Continuing Professional Development

CSC- Children’s Social Care

CYP – Children and Young People

DSCP - Doncaster Children’s Safeguarding Partnership 

DEHC - Doncaster Education Health and Care Hub

EAL - English as an Additional Language

EAR - Emergency Annual Review

EHA - Early Help Assessment (which has now replaced the CAF)

EHC - Early Help Coordinator

EHCP - Education Health and Care Plan

ELSA – Emotional Literacy Support Assistant

EP - Educational Psychologist

FAP/EHP - Family Action Plan/Early Help Plan 

FASD - Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

GA - Graduated Approach

HI - Hearing Impairment

HQT – High Quality Teaching

IAG - Information, advice and guidance

ICT – Information and Communication Technology

LA - Local Authority

LP - Lead Practitioner

LSG - Your Family Local Solution Group

MASH - Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub 

MOSAIC - Online case management system

ND - Needs Descriptors

OAP - Ordinarily Available Provision Guidance

PE - Physical Education

PEP - Personal Educational Plans

PSHE - Personal, Social, Health and Economics

PSP - Pastoral Support Plan

QA - Quality Assurance

RA - Reasonable Adjustments

SALT - Speech and Language Therapy

SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health

SEND - Special Education Needs and Disabilities

SENDCO - Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator

SMART Outcomes - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely Outcomes

SNAT - Strengths and Needs Analysis Tool

SOS - Signs of Safety

SSP - SEND Support Plan

T & L - Teaching and Learning

TAC/F - Team around the Child/Family

VI - Visual Impairment

YP - Young Person

Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) are strategies or systems to support communication including signing, gestures, and books with symbols or pictures. Some AAC uses computers that can turn a form of input from the child or young person into speech or writing e.g., eye gaze technology.

ADHD is categorised into 2 types: attention differences, and hyperactivity and impulsivity.

Autism is a broad term and refers to a spectrum of possible differences. Autistic learners may have differences in:

• Social interaction and communication
• Thinking and learning
• Making choices
• Executive functioning/planning and organising
• Sensory processing
• Auditory processing
• Central coherence (the ability to determine meaning from a collection of details)
• Self-regulation and behavioural responses

This is diagnosed when children have differences in the acquisition of their first language. Children may have difficulty understanding what people say to them, and struggle to articulate their ideas and feelings. A language disorder can exist regardless of what a child's first first language is. Bilingual children can also present with DLD or language disorders. A speech and language therapist can differentiate between language disorders and second language acquisition difficulties

Language that is produced, spoken output, the sentences that are assembled grammar, sequence, narrative ability.

Externalising behaviours are observable and may include: behaviours that challenge, restlessness, over activity, non-compliance, mood swings, impulsivity, physical aggression, verbal aggression, perceived injustices, disproportionate reaction to situations, difficulties with change/transitions, eating disorders, absconding, lack of empathy, lack of personal boundaries, self-harming, poor awareness of personal space.

This is an umbrella term used when children have significant delays in their cognitive and physical development. It can be diagnosed (by a medical practitioner) when a child is delayed in one or more milestones, categorised into: motor skills, speech, cognitive skills, and social and emotional development. There is usually a specific condition which causes this delay, such as Fragile X syndrome or other chromosomal abnormalities (including Downs Syndrome).

These may include: anxiety, low mood, being withdrawn, avoiding risks, difficulty making choices, low self-worth, becoming isolated, difficulty accepting praise, engagement challenges, poor personal presentation, lethargy/apathy, daydreaming, difficulties making and maintaining friendships, speech anxiety, reluctance to speak, task avoidance.

Language Disorders are often associated with biomedical conditions such as: autism, epilepsy, sensori-neural hearing loss, structural or acquired brain injury, certain neurodegenerative conditions, genetic conditions such as Down’s syndrome, and cerebral palsy. Within the group of Language Disorders there is also Developmental Language Disorder.

Being “language ready for school” refers to a child having the language skills needed for learning and interaction when they start school. This is not a speech and language need yet, but it can be a risk factor.

This is when a child or young person has a reduced ability to understand new or complex information in learning new skills, with a reduced ability to cope independently (impaired social functioning) and with a lasting effect on development.

When learning across all domains including, social, communication and emotional skills, is at a slower pace than peers, even with appropriate adaptations/scaffolding. Attainment is well below age related expectations in all or most areas of the curriculum, despite appropriate interventions.

Neurodiversity and neurodiverse refer to the natural differing ways in which everyone's brain functions. We all have different strengths and needs. Individuals are either neurotypical or neurodivergent. Neurotypical refers to individuals whose thinking and functioning is within typical ranges. Neurdivergent refers to individuals whose thinking and functioning is outside typical ranges. There are many benefits to neurodivergent thinking but it can also present challenges in everyday functioning and learning. Neurodivergent individuals whose differences present significant challenges may have a diagnosis of a neurological condition such as autism, dyslexia or ADHD. What is neurodiversity? (youtube.com)

These are objects used within an activity are used to cue the child into an event or activity. Objects of Reference are used to represent activities, people or places. They may be complete objects or parts of objects.

Difficulties that are evident all the time and the response to intervention and support is limited or extremely slow.

When children or young people have severe and complex learning needs; in addition, they have other significant difficulties, such as physical disabilities or a sensory impairment. Pupils require a high levels of support, both for their learning needs and also for personal care. They are likely to need sensory stimulation and a curriculum broken down into very small steps. Some pupils communicate by gesture, eye pointing or symbols and others by very simple language. (DfE, 2010)

Accessing meaning, understanding language, and “decoding” language (comprehension)

Severe learning difficulties is where children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and communication, through to profound and multiple learning difficulties.

Difficulties with social understanding and reciprocal interaction.

This is an umbrella term for a certain group of learning difficulties. This includes a range of conditions such as: dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia and tourette's syndrome.

This is the generic term for difficulties with speech production. A Speech and Language Therapist may also diagnose a speech sound disorder.

These include disorders such as, verbal dyspraxia, articulation disorder, orofacial structural deficits, voice disorders and phonological disorders. NB: Speech Language and Communication Needs tend not to be formally diagnosed in children in the Early Years (0-4) age range. Our understanding of the child’s language abilities is more informed by development records.

Ongoing difficulties with understanding, learning and remembering new skills.

Ways for representing concepts including signs, use of photographs/pictures, objects of reference, printed or spoken words.

Speech-generating devices are electronic augmentative and alternative communication systems used to supplement or replace speech or writing.
➢ Single Message VOCAs: A very basic switch device that speaks a recorded message when pressed.
➢ Message sequencer VOCAs: A series of messages in a sequence.
➢ Overlay VOCAs: includes pictures, symbols or words, that are over the keys to show which one will say which message.
➢ Dynamic screen devices display symbols or graphics on a screen.