What

There are lots of different terms, acronyms and abbreviations that you may hear as a parent having conversations with teachers and health providers about a child or young person with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND). To help you make sense of the language used, we’ve put together this SEND glossary.

Preferred language and terminology can change quite frequently, and we also recognise that the particular language people use to define themselves is often very personal. How you might choose to define yourself is entirely up to you, but that also means it’s important to be mindful that this might be different for somebody else.

Equally, just because someone has had a particular diagnosis, it doesn’t necessarily mean that’s how they want to be identified. Family Action services who work with people with SEND say that these individuals often prefer to have a conversation about the language they’re comfortable with rather than avoiding the topic – although this might not apply to everyone.

The one situation where you might need to use very specific language regardless of personal preference is if you are talking to someone who works with children or young people with SEND. For example, if you’re looking for a diagnosis or for support relating to a diagnosis, this is usually where very specific language is used. Since these terms are often jargon to parents, we’ve put together this SEND glossary of some of the most commonly used terms and abbreviations.

It’s worth noting that different local authorities use different terms for some things. While we’ve done our best to make this list as comprehensive as possible, this may mean the list doesn’t cover a term you’re looking for, because it’s more commonly known by another name elsewhere.