A
Accommodations
Any changes that a child needs in a classroom to provide the child with an opportunity to demonstrate her knowledge. For example, changes in how a test is administered might include: the format of test, how the child is allowed to take the test (i.e., oral responses instead of written), where the child takes the test (i.e., in a classroom with fewer children or alone), or extended time for taking the test.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Children with ADHD — or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) — may be eligible for special education under several different categories if the ADHD/ADD negatively affects educational performance.
Assistive Technology
The IEP Team must consider a child's needs for assistive technology. Examples of assistive technology are specialized computer software and devices that help students speak, write, or communicate. For more information on assistive technology, go to: http://www.abledata.com
Audiology
A related service (see “related services”). Audiology includes defining and evaluating hearing impairments as well as referrals for hearing services.
Autism
A developmental disability that impairs communication and social interaction and adversely affects educational performance; generally evident before age 3. Children with autism often engage in repetitive activities and movements, resist environmental change or change in daily routines, and have unusual responses to sensory experiences.
B
Behavior Intervention Plan
Also known as a Positive Behavior Support Plan. Under IDEA, schools must address the behavior of a child with disabilities when that behavior impedes his/her learning or the learning of classroom peers. After conducting a functional behavioral assessment (FBA), the IEP team incorporates a plan of positive behavioral interventions into the individual education plan (IEP).
C
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
The record of general and permanent rules of the federal government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad topics subject to federal regulation. Each volume is updated every calendar year and issued on a quarterly basis. See: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html
Counseling Services
A related service (see “related services”) that includes services provided by social workers, psychologists, guidance counselors, or other qualified personnel.
D
Deafness
An IDEA disability category; an impairment in the processing of information through hearing which adversely affects educational performance.
Deaf-Blindness
An IDEA disability category; includes hearing and visual impairments that cause severe communication, developmental and educational difficulties that adversely affect educational performance.
Disability
Both Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the American Disabilities Act (ADA) define a disability as: an impairment that substantially affects one or more major life activities; an individual who has a record of having such impairment; an individual who is regarded as having such an impairment.
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a child with disability is defined as a one who has been properly evaluated as having mental retardation, hearing impairments and deafness, speech or language impairments, visual impairments up to and including blindness, emotional disturbance, orthopedic impairments, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairement, a specific learning disability, deaf blindness, or multiple disabilities and who, because of such impairment, requires special education and related services.
DESE
In Missouri, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) administers Due Process Hearings (see immediately below) and Due Process Complaints. Visit their website at: http://dese.mo.gov/
and http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced
Due Process Hearing
A legal proceeding at which parents have the opportunity to argue that the school district is not properly educating their child. If they convince the majority of the panel, the parents can get compensatory services for their child.
In Missouri, the Due Process Hearing involves a three-person panel who hears and decides the case. The chair is a lawyer assigned to the panel by DESE (see immediately above). The other two panel members are picked by the school district and the parents (each party picks one from the hearing officer list that DESE provides to them).
Dyslexia
A type of learning disability. Persons with dyslexia may have difficulty learning to read. Studies show that children with dyslexia best learn to read with a phonic approach.
E
Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)
Early Childhood Special Education refers to special services for children at the pre-school level. Services are provided to infants and toddlers under the age of three who demonstrate developmental delays or a high probability of a delay. The regulations and procedures for Early Childhood Special Education differ somewhat from those under IDEA. See “34 CFR Part 303” at:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_02/34cfr303_02.html.
Education Records
All records about the student that are maintained by an educational agency or institution; includes instructional materials, teacher’s manuals, films, tapes, test materials and protocols.
Educational Consultant / Diagnostician
An individual who may be familiar with school curriculum and requirements at various grade levels: may or may not have a background in learning disabilities; may conduct educational evaluations.
Emotional Disturbance (ED)
A disability category under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); includes depression, phobias, schizophrenia or other conditions that adversely affect educational performance.
EMR
Acronym for the “educable mentally retarded” classification.
Extended School Year (ESY)
While not the same as summer school, ESY provides the child special education services during times when school is not in session, usually during the summer. The law requires that each child with an IEP be considered for ESY services. The school must maintain data to determine if the child needs ESY services.
F
FAPE
Free appropriate public education. This term refers to the special education and related services provided to a child without charge to the parent as written in the IEP.
FERPA
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act is federal legislation that protects the privacy of a student's educational records. To see a complete copy of your child’s education record, make a FERPA request in writing.
G
General Curriculum
The curriculum adopted by the Local Education Agency (LEA) or State Education Agency (SEA) for all children in preschool through high school.
H
Hearing Impairment
A disability category under IDEA; permanent or fluctuating impairment in hearing that adversely affects educational performance.
Hearing Officer
(This definition refers to due process procedures used in Missouri). One of three panel members who evaluate the issues and decide remedies in a Due Process Hearing. One of the members acts as Chair of the Due Process Hearing Panel. The Chair is always an attorney, and in Missouri most of the people who act as chairpersons also represent school districts in their private practice. Hearing Officers who are not chairpersons, must attend a training provided by DESE every three years. These hearing officers are generally parents of children with disabilities, advocates, employees of disability organizations or educators (usually special education directors).
I
IDEA
Acronym for the “Individuals with Disabilities Education Act” of 1997. This is the federal law that defines special education services and the procedures for providing them. You can read the statute at “20 U.S.C. §1400-1487:” http://www.wrightslaw.com/statute.htm or http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode20/usc_sup_01_20_10_33.html You can also find the federal regulations are at: “34 C.F.R. Part 300:” http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_02/34cfr300_02.html
IDELR
Acronym for “Individuals With Disabilities Law Reporter,” a law reporting service provided by LRP Publishing. The publication covers special education due process hearing decisions from state and federal cases. You may read texts which mention previous decisions along with the citation from the IDELR. Available by subscription only. See: http://www.shoplrp.com/product/p-300001_26.IDELR.html
IEE
Acronym for “independent educational evaluation.”
IEP
Acronym for “Individualized Education Plan.” This is the legal document that describes the child’s educational disability and the corresponding special education services the child will receive. See: http://www.ldonline.org/indepth/iep,
http://www.taalliance.org/idea/index.htm, http://www.ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/iepguide/index.html
IFSP
Acronym for “Individualized Family Service Plan.” Acting as both a record and guide for effective early intervention process for children with disabilities and their families, the IFSP is implemented in accordance with Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The document also creates a team process among family members and service providers which is intended to enhance the family’s ability to facilitate the child’s development. See: http://ericec.org/digests/e605.html
Illegal Drug
A controlled substance; does not include substances that are legally possessed or used under the supervision of a licensed healthcare professional.
Impartial Due Process Hearing
See Due Process Hearing.
Inclusion
The practice of educating children with special needs in regular education classrooms in neighborhood schools. See also: mainstreaming and least restrictive environment.
J
K
L
Learning Disability (LD)
Sometimes a child with a learning disability is referred to as “LD.” The IDEA has 13 categories of educational disabilities and one is called “Specific Learning Disability.” Each state may define the term differently and use different criteria for determining whether a child has a learning disability. Missouri defines a Learning Disability this way: “a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. The term does not include learning problems that are primarilythe result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. For further information about how learning disabilities are diagnosed and for changes in the 2004 IDEA go to: http://www.wrightslaw.com/idea/art/ld.rti.discrep.htm
LEA
Acronym for “Local Education Agency.” The IDEA refers to local school districts as “LEAs.”
LRE
Acronym for “Least Restrictive Environment.” The law begins with the assumption that children with disabilities should be educated with their non-disabled peers to the maximum extent possible. Therefore, placement options should begin with the regular education classroom. Children with disabilities do not have to start in a more restrictive or separate class then “earn” the right to move to a less restrictive placement. Only when a regular education classroom cannot meet the child's needs, even with support services, should another option be pursued. The child with a disability must benefit from the placement.
M
Mainstreaming
Practice of placing special needs children in regular classrooms for at least a part of the children’s educational program. See also: least restrictive environment and inclusion.
Manifestation Determination Review
If child with disability engages in behavior or breaks a rule or code of conduct that applies to nondisabled children and the school proposes to remove the child, the school must hold a hearing to determine if the child’s behavior was caused by the disability.
Mediation
Procedural safeguard to resolve disputes between parents and schools; must be voluntary, cannot be used to deny or delay the right to a due process hearing; must be conducted by a qualified and impartial mediator who is trained in effective mediation techniques.
Medical Services
A related service under IDEA; includes services provided by a licensed physician to determine a child’s medically related disability that results in the child’s need for special education and related services.
Mental Retardation
Disability category under IDEA; refers to significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning with deficits in adaptive behavior that adversely affect educational performance.
Modifications
Substantial changes in what the student is expected to demonstrate; includes changes in instructional level, content, and performance criteria; may include changes in test form or format; includes alternative assessments.
Multiple Disabilities
A disability category under IDEA; concomitant impairments (such as mental retardation-blindness, or mental retardation-orthopedic impairment) that cause such severe educational problems and cannot be accommodated in special education programs that addresss only one of the impairments; does not include deaf-blindness.
N
O
Orton-Gillingham
An approach used with children who have dyslexia or other reading disabilities, Orton-Gillingham is a multi-sensory based method of phonetic instruction that is sequential and systemic in nature. Orton-Gillingham is not the only method of instruction used with children with dyslexia. For alternative approaches, see: “FastForword” at: http://www.scilearn.com/
OCR
Acronym for “Office of Civil Rights” in the United States Department of Education.
Occupational Therapy
A related service under IDEA; includes therapy to remediate fine motor skills.
Opinion
A formal written decision by a judge or court; contains the legal principles and reasons upon which the decision was based.
Orientation and Mobility Services
A related service under IDEA; includes services to visually impaired students that enable students to move safely at home, school, and community.
Orthopedic Impairment
A disability category under IDEA; any skeletal disorder that adversely affects child’s educational performance.
OSEP
Acronym for “Office of Special Education Programs.”
OSERS
Acronym for “Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.”
Other Health Impairment
A disability category under IDEA; refers to limited strength, vitality or alertness due to chronic or acute health problems that adversely affect educational performance.
P
Parent
Under the IDEA, the term includes a biological parent, adoptive parent, guardian, or surrogate parent; may include a grandparent, stepparent or foster parent with whom a child lives.
Physical Therapy
A related service under IDEA; includes therapy to remediate gross motor skills.
Procedural Safeguards Notice
An IDEA requirement that the school provide a full, easily understood explanation of procedural safeguards that describe a parent’s right to an independent educational evaluation, to examine records, and to request mediation and due process.
Psychological Services
A related service under IDEA; includes administering psychological and educational tests, interpreting test results, and interpreting child behavior related to learning.
Placement
Referring to where the child receives special education services, placements include the regular classroom (total inclusion), where children with disabilities receive their education alongside non-disabled peers, a special education classroom, private school placement at the school district’s expense, or placement in residential programs for children with disabilities. Within that range, a wide variety of plans can be created to meet the unique needs of each student.
Q
R
Reasonable Accommodation
Adoption of a facility or program that can be accomplished without undue administrative or financial burden to the school district.
Recreation
A related service under IDEA; includes therapeutic recreation services, recreation programs, and leisure education.
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Civil rights statute designed to protect individuals with disabilities from discrimination; its purposes are to maximize a person with disability’s employment, economic self-sufficiency, independence, inclusion and integration into society.
Rehabilitation Counseling Services
A related service under IDEA; includes career development, preparation for employment, vocational rehabilitation services funded under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Related Services
As defined by IDEA, services that are necessary for a child to benefit from special education; these may include but are not limited to:
- audiology
- counseling services
- early identification and assessment of disabilities in children
- medical services (for diagnostic or evaluation purposes only)
- occupational therapy
- parent counseling and training
- physical therapy
- psychological services
- recreation
- rehabilitation counseling
- school health services
- social work services
- speech pathology
- transportation
Remediation
Process by which an individual receives instruction and practice in skills that are weak or nonexistent in an effort to develop/strengthen these skills.
S
School Day
A day when children attend school for instructional purposes.
School Health Services
A related service under IDEA; health care provided by a qualified school nurse or other qualified person.
Section 504
In the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the section that prohibits discrimination based on disability by any agency that receives federal funding.
Settlement
Conclusion of a legal dispute in a civil suit by agreement of opposing parties before judgment is made.
Special Education
Specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability.
Specific Learning Disability
A disability category under IDEA; includes disorders that affect the ability to understand or use spoken or written language; may manifest in difficulties with listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, spelling, and doing mathematical calculations; includes minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.
Speech or Language Pathology
A disability category under IDEA; includes communication disorders, language impairments, or voice impairments that adversely affect educational performance.
Speech or Language Pathology Services
A related service under IDEA; includes identification and diagnosis of speech or language impairments, speech or language therapy, counseling and guidance.
Standardized Test
Norm-referenced test that compares a child’s performance with the performance of a large group of similar children (usually children who are the same age).
Stanford Binet
A standardized intelligence test that assesses cognitive abilities in children and adults aged two to twenty-three.
State Education Agency (SEA)
A State’s department of education.
Statute of Limitations
Time within which a legal action must be commenced.
Statutory Law
Written law enacted by legislative bodies.
Statutory Rights
Rights protected by statute, as opposed to constitutional rights that are protected by the Constitution.
Supplementary Aids and Services
Aids, services, and supports that are provided in regular education classes to enable children with disabilities to be educated with nondisabled children to the maximum extent appropriate.
Stay Put
If the parent and school disagree on a child's IEP, the child "stays put" in the last program agreed upon while the parties go to Due Process. The purpose is to protect the child from being moved around during litigation.
T
Transition
The period when a child with disabilities moves from school to the adult world assisted by planning for work experiences and/or education after high school. Schools are responsible to provide a transition plan in every IEP for a learning-disabled child who is 16 or older.
Transition Services
An IEP requirement; aids designed to facilitate successful movement from school to the workplace or to higher education by a learning-disabled child. Transition services must be individually tailored to the child’s needs and skills.
Transportation
Under IDEA, a related service that includes specialized equipment (i.e., special or adapted buses, lifts, and ramps) if required to provide special transportation for a child with a disability.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
A disability category under IDEA; includes acquired injury caused by external physical force and open or closed head injuries that result in impairments; does not include congenital or degenerative brain injuries or brain injuries caused by birth trauma.
U
United States Code (U.S.C.)
A very large, multiple-volume document in which all federal laws are published. You can read and search the U.S.C. online at a variety of places. Available at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/uscode/index.html or http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/
V
Visual Impairment Including Language
A disability category under IDEA; impaired vision that adversely affects educational performance.
W
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)
An intelligence test for children age six to seventeen years of age. The WISC has two measurement scales, the Verbal Scale and the Performance Scale. Each scale has several subtests. The Verbal Scale measures language expression, comprehension, listening, and the ability to apply these skills to solving problems. The Performance Scale assesses nonverbal problem solving, perceptual organization, speed, and visual-motor proficiency.
X
Y
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