The language of Special Educational Needs can be complex and obscure. Here is a guide to some of abbreviations and jargon commonly used by professionals and in schools.

Annual Review
a meeting that takes place at least once a year to look at the details of a child's Statement of Special Educational Needs, to record the child's progress and plan for the year ahead. Teachers and parents / carers attend the review meeting. Other professionals involved are also invited. The child or young person is also invited to attend for all or part of the meeting.

BESD
Behaviour Emotional and Social Difficulties where a child's emotions or behaviour are barriers to their learning.

Behaviour Support Teacher
A trained and experienced teacher who can advise on the needs of children with a range of emotional, behavioural and social needs. They offer support and advice to parents, children and schools.

CDC
Child Development Clinic where medical assessments are made of children whose development is giving cause for concern.

CFCS
Child and Family Consultation Service.

Connexions Personal Advisers
People who give help to young people before they leave school about further / higher education, training and employment.

Code of Practice (COP)
A guide for Local Education Authorities, parents and schools about how help should be given to children with Special Educational Needs. Local Education Authorities and schools must have regard to the code.

DFES
Department for Education and Skills (Government department)

Disagreement Resolution / Mediation
The Learning Trust has a duty to make arrangements for when parents / carers disagree with the Trust or with their child's school about their child's Special Educational Needs. Mediation is a voluntary process where a trained mediator helps the parties who disagree to find a shared solution.

EMA (Ethnic Minority Achievement) Teacher
Supports children from ethnic minorities with their language development

EP (Or Ed-Psych.)
Educational Psychologist - a qualifed teacher who has had training in psychology to understand more about the ways children learn, think and behave. Hackney EPs are employed by The Learning Trust and represent the Trust at school meetings.

Early Years Setting
Pre-school playgroup, private or council day nursery, school nursery or childminder.

Education Attendance Officer
A person who is employed by The Learning Trust to help parents and schools to meet their obligations in relation to school attendance.

IEP/ Individual Education Plan
A detailed learning programme, with short-term targets, designed to help the child make progress at school.

Inclusion
Ensuring that all children (with or without disabilities or difficulties in learning) are, where possible, educated together at their local mainstream school.

Independent School
A school, which is neither funded by the LEA, nor is it a voluntary aided school. Charitable Trusts and organisations, particularly those catering for special educational needs run some independent schools. They usually charge fees.

iTeam (Inclusion Team)
The Learning Trust's team of specialist teachers (for the deaf and hearing impaired, visually impaired, specific learning difficulties etc.) providing support for children with Statements of SEN in Hackney schools. The team also includes early Support Officers/Area SENCOs providing support to children in early-years settings.

KS1 (2, 3, 0r 4) of the National Curriculum

Key Stage 1 - Reception to Year 2 (Age 4-7)

Key Stage 2 - Years 3 to 6 (Age 7-11)

Key Stage 3 - Years 7 to 9 (Age 11-14)

Key Stage 4 - Years 10 and 11 (Age 14-16)

LEA / Local Education Authority
In Hackney the duties of the LEA are carried out by The Learning Trust on behalf of Hackney Council.

Learning Mentor
A person working in school with groups and individual children to help them overcome barriers to learning. Mentors may also be trained volunteers working with individual children through an external organisation.

Learning Support Assistant (LSA)
A person employed by the school to provide support in the classroom or undertake specific work with a child or group of children who have learning difficulties. They work under the direction of the class teacher.

Mainstream School
An ordinary school that most children attend, usually local to where they live. The vast majority of pupils with Statements are educated in mainstream schools.

Maintained School
A school funded by the Local Education Authority

Named Officer
A case officer working in the Assessment and Monitoring Team of The Learning Trust who is the point of contact for parents. They give information and advice about statutory assessments and Statements

Note in Lieu (of a Statement)
This is issued to a child's parents and school when, following a statutory assessment, The Learning Trust decides not to make a Statement. The note will describe the child's educational needs, explain why the trust will not make a Statement and make recommendations for appropriate provision for the child.

Notification
When a formal letter from the local NHS trust informs The Local Education Authority of a child under 5 who may need special educational provision on starting school.

OT / Occupational Therapist
A person trained to provide assessment, treatment and rehabilitation for children with physical difficulties. They are able to give schools advice on programmes of support, and to advise about suitable equipment and the provision of other facilities.

Parent Partnership Officer
Employed by The Learning Trust to ensure that parents and carers of children with special educational needs can get the information they need to be active partners in their child's education.

Physiotherapist
A person trained to provide assessment and treatment in movement and physical development such as balance, co-ordination, ability to sit, stand and walk. They are able to give advice to schools on programmes of support.

Portage Worker
A person who works in partnership with the parents of children under five with developmental delay to promote all aspects of their children's development through activities in the home.

PRU / Pupil Referral Unit
A centre for pupils who are permanently excluded from school.

Resource Base
A specialist base within a mainstream school to support children with Statements with specific needs. Hackney has three Resources bases for children with autism and three for children with speech and language difficulties. They are all in primary schools.

School Action / Early Years Action
The first stage in helping a child or young person who is having difficulties at school or in their early years (pre-school) setting. It involves giving them extra or different help.

School Action Plus / Early Years Action Plus
If the child or young person is not making enough progress with School or Early Years Action, the school or early years setting should talk to the parents about taking advice from other people outside the school, for example a specialist teacher, educational psychologist or speech and language therapist.

SEN
Special Educational Needs

SENCO / Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator
The teacher who has the responsibility for co-ordinating the special educational needs provision within a school.

Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal / SENDIST
An independent panel that hears appeals lodged by parents and carers against SEN decisions made by the LEA, and also claims of disability discrimination.

Special School
A school, which is resourced and organised to provide specifically for the education of pupils with a Statement.

Speech and Language Therapy (SALT)
Speech and Language Therapists are trained to assess, diagnose, manage and treat speech, language, voice and fluency disorders.

Statement of Special Educational Needs (Statement)
A legal document drawn up by the Local Education Authority describing a child's special educational needs and the special help they should receive.

TA (Teaching Assistant)
A person employed by the school to provide general support in the classroom. They work under the direction of the class teacher.

Transition Plan
This is drawn up with pupils with Statements of SEN or on School Action Plus in Year 9. They and their parents / carers attend a meeting held to begin to plan for when the young person will leave school. Connexions Personal Advisers play a key part in this plan, which is then reviewed every year until the young person leaves school.