SN board acronyms and abbreviations

[coppertop]

Following on from a post on another thread about how SN abbreviations and acronyms can seem like a secret code sometimes, would it be a good idea to ask MNHQ to add something about how some of them are listed in the general Acronyms section? What about the idea of a link to SN terminology in general? eg I have no idea what some of the medical equipment mentioned on here is but don't always like to ask for explanations.

Any thoughts/ideas to pass on to MNHQ?

Excellent.

Keep them coming.

What about ABA, VB, TEACCH etc? I don't know whether including these would make it all too complicated - there are obviously loads of other interventions that aren't acronyms like Floortime, Son-Rise etc and it might get a bit lengthy!

APD - Auditory Processing Disorder
SPD - Semantic Pragmatic Disorder

But don't ask me to define them...even though I did just respond to a thread about APD

I think adding ABA and TEACCH would be a good idea because they get mentioned on here a lot - and I still have no idea what TEACCH stands for (the initials).

We could always add a link to somewhere that explains what Floortime, Son-Rise etc are? (If the idea gets the go-ahead of course).

In no particular order:

Hydrocephaly - "water on the brain": a condition where high pressure in the cerebrospinal fluid causes the fluid-filled spaces in the brain to enlarge.

Hand - over - hand: teaching an activity or skill to a child by placing your hands on the child's hands and moving them together with yours. Over time this is reduced till the child does it alone (called "fading the prompt")

GOS/GOSH - Great Ormond Street Hospital: The biggest UK hospital for children's medicine, in London. AKA "God's Own" by the medical profession.

CDC - Children's Development Centre: a group of paediatricians operating either out of a hospital or a separate unit, often the people who make initial diagnosis.

Big Mac - a very large round button, about the size of a ... er... Big Mac, which can be operated by someone with poor motor skills. Often has an integral voice recorder.

Direct Payments - money awarded by Social Services for an individual or a carer to employ directly the sort of help they would normally get from Social Services.

Portage - Charity providing one-to-one play therapy for pre-school children in the child's own home. Named after the town in the US where this service was first sucessful.

CHASE - Children's Hospice service based in the South-East

TAC - Team Around The Child: Social Services provide a liason officer for children with complex/medical needs; arranges cross-service meetings with the parents so the child's needs can be addressed holistically rather than as a list of conditions and services.

IPSEA - Independent Panel for Special Education Advice - group which offers free advice to parents with children with SN. Website at www.ipsea.org

Gah! That's meant to be www.ipsea.org.uk

www.youngminds.org.uk/camhs/

CAMHS - child and adolescent mental health services.

website above gives more information.

Talipes - ?

Another one that I have only a very vague idea about.

I forgot to add the CAMHS website.

www.camhs.org.uk

Where's the Edit button when you need one? That should have been:

www.camh.org.uk

Another autism-related one:

Earlybird - A course for parents of pre-school children with a diagnosis of autism. www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=142&a=3300

Talipes is the 'proper' name for clubfoot.

Thans, Blu.

SIPS - ?

Thanks, Bethron. I've added those to the list.

For Makaton, how about:

Communication system based on BSL (British Sign Language) signs and equivalent symbols. It is streamlined for SN use and put into a framework so it can be taught in a structured way. The CBeebies programme "something special" uses Makaton.