Anxiety Disorders

An anxiety disorder is when feelings of worry, stress or fear do not go away and begin to affect daily life. Anxiety can affect thoughts, emotions and physical reactions.

Attachment Disorders

Attachment disorders affect how children form emotional bonds with parents or caregivers. They usually develop when a child’s early emotional needs for comfort, affection and safety are not met consistently.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects attention, impulse control and activity levels.

Autism

Autism is a lifelong developmental condition that affects how people communicate, interact, and experience the world. It is a spectrum condition, meaning every autistic person has their own combination of strengths and challenges.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition that affects communication, social understanding, and behaviour.

Body Dysmorphia

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), or body dysmorphia, is a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about perceived flaws in their appearance.

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a lifelong condition that affects movement, coordination, and posture. It is caused by damage to the developing brain, usually before, during or shortly after birth.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / ME

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), is a long-term condition that causes extreme tiredness that does not improve with rest.

Depression

Depression is a mental health condition that affects mood, thoughts and daily functioning. It goes beyond occasional sadness and can lead to persistent feelings of emptiness, low energy and loss of interest in usual activities.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a long-term health condition that affects how the body regulates blood sugar (glucose).

Down’s Syndrome

Down’s syndrome is a genetic condition caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21. It affects learning, development and physical health to varying degrees.

Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is a specific learning difficulty that affects a person’s ability to understand and work with numbers. It is sometimes described as “maths dyslexia”.

Dysgraphia

Dysgraphia is a specific learning difficulty that affects handwriting, spelling, and written expression. It can impact the ability to form letters, organise thoughts on paper, or write fluently, even when ideas are clear.

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that mainly affects reading, spelling and writing. It can impact how language sounds are processed, making it harder to link letters to sounds and recognise words automatically.

Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA)

Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) is when a child or young person finds it extremely difficult to attend school because of emotional distress. It is not the same as truancy or refusal; it is usually linked to anxiety, stress, or unmet needs in the school environment.

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes recurrent seizures due to sudden bursts of electrical activity in the brain.

Global Developmental Delay (GDD)

Global Developmental Delay (GDD) is a term used when a young child takes longer than expected to reach developmental milestones in several areas, such as movement, speech, learning, or social skills.

Hearing Impairment (HI)

Hearing impairment (HI) refers to partial or total loss of hearing in one or both ears. It can affect speech, communication and learning, particularly if not identified early.

Language Disorder

Language disorder (sometimes called Developmental Language Disorder or DLD) affects a person’s ability to understand and use spoken language.

Medical Technology Users

Medical technology users are children or young people who rely on medical devices to support their health, breathing, feeding, or mobility.

Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD)

Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD) describe a slower rate of learning across most areas of the curriculum. Pupils with MLD may find it harder to grasp new concepts, recall information or apply skills independently.

Muscular Dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a group of genetic conditions that cause progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass. It affects movement and physical ability over time.

Non-verbal / Augmentative Communication Needs

Some children and young people are non-verbal, meaning they do not use spoken language to communicate. This may be temporary or lifelong, depending on the underlying cause.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is a behavioural condition where children and young people show frequent patterns of defiance, anger, or argumentativeness towards authority figures.

Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)

Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is a profile within the autism spectrum where a person experiences high anxiety and an extreme need to resist or avoid everyday demands.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can develop after experiencing or witnessing a distressing or life-threatening event.

Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD)

Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD) describe children and young people with severe learning disabilities combined with significant physical or sensory needs.

Rare Diseases

A rare disease is a health condition that affects fewer than 1 in 2,000 people. Although each condition is uncommon, there are over 7,000 recognised rare diseases, meaning many families live with complex and often misunderstood medical needs.

Selective Mutism

Selective mutism is an anxiety-based condition where a person is physically able to speak but consistently unable to do so in specific situations, such as at school or with unfamiliar people.

SEN Wellbeing

SEN wellbeing refers to the emotional, mental and social health of children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). Many pupils with SEN experience anxiety, frustration or low self-esteem linked to learning, communication or sensory differences.

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) affects how the brain interprets and responds to sensory information such as sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, movement, and body awareness.

Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD)

Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) describe children and young people who have significant intellectual and developmental delay.

Social Communication Difficulties

Social communication difficulties affect how a person uses and understands language in social situations.

Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD)

Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) affect how individuals learn and process information in particular areas, such as reading, writing or numeracy. Unlike general learning difficulties, SpLDs impact specific skills while overall intelligence and ability remain average or above.

Speech and Language

Speech and language needs (often called SLN or SLCN) cover a range of challenges with understanding, producing, or using spoken language.

Speech Delay

Speech delay means a child develops spoken language more slowly than expected for their age.

Tourette Syndrome

Tourette syndrome is a neurological condition that causes involuntary movements or sounds, known as tics.

Visual Impairment (VI)

Visual impairment (VI) refers to partial or complete loss of vision that affects a person’s ability to access written or visual information.

Wheelchair Users

Wheelchair users are individuals who rely on manual or powered wheelchairs for mobility, either full-time or part-time.