Accommodations: Changes that remove barriers and provide a student with equal access to learning without altering what is being taught.

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act): A civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability in all areas of public life, including schools.

ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder): A neurological disorder characterized by difficulties with attention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness.

ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder): A developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three.

AT (Assistive Technology): Any item, piece of equipment, or product system used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of children with disabilities.

BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan): A plan that includes positive strategies, program modifications, and supplementary aids and supports to address behaviors that impede learning.

Comparable Services: Services provided by the new school district that are similar to those provided by the previous school district to ensure continuity of the student’s education.

Consent: Parental permission required for evaluations, reevaluations, and initial provision of special education services.

Developmental Delay: A term used for children under the age of nine who experience significant delays in one or more developmental areas.

Due Process: A formal process for resolving special education disputes.

ED (Emotional Disturbance): A condition exhibiting one or more specific emotional or behavioral problems over a long period of time, adversely affecting educational performance.

ESY (Extended School Year): Special education and related services provided beyond the normal school year for students whose IEP team determines the need for such services due to severe regression and significant recoupment.

Evaluation: Procedures used to determine whether a child has a disability and the nature and extent of special education services the child needs.

FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education): The educational right of children with disabilities to receive early intervention, special education, and related services at no cost to the family and appropriate to the needs of the child.

FBA (Functional Behavioral Assessment): A process to identify the reasons for specific behaviors and to guide the development of effective interventions.

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act): A federal law that ensures services to children with disabilities throughout the nation, guaranteeing special education and related services.

IEP (Individualized Education Program): A written plan developed for each public-school child who is eligible for special education, tailored to their unique needs.

Inclusion: The practice of educating children with disabilities in regular classrooms alongside their peers without disabilities.

Interventions: Specific strategies, programs, or instructions used to address a student’s needs.

LRE (Least Restrictive Environment): To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are not disabled, and special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability of a child is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

Manifestation Determination: A process to determine if a student's misbehavior is directly related to their disability.

MDT (Multidisciplinary Team): A group of professionals from different disciplines who work together to assess and plan services for students with disabilities.

Modifications: Changes to what a student is expected to learn, often altering the level or content of the curriculum.

Occupational Therapists (OT): Professionals who help children with disabilities develop or improve the skills needed for daily living and school activities.

Orthopedic Impairment: A severe orthopedic condition that adversely affects a child's educational performance.

Other Health Impairment (OHI): A disability category under IDEA that includes conditions which limit a child’s strength, energy, or alertness, affecting their educational performance.

Parent: For special education purposes, a parent is a natural or adoptive parent, a guardian, a person acting as a parent in the absence of a parent or guardian, or a surrogate parent.

Physical Education: Specially designed physical education services as part of a student’s IEP to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities.

PT (Physical Therapy): Services provided by a physical therapist to address physical needs that affect a child’s ability to move and perform functional tasks at school.

Private School: Nonpublic schools that may serve students with or without disabilities and may or may not offer special education services.

Record: Documentation related to a student’s identification, evaluation, educational placement, and provision of FAPE.

Residential and Private Placements: Educational settings outside of the public school system where some students with disabilities may be placed to receive appropriate education.

RTI (Response to Intervention): A multi-tiered approach to early identification and support for students with learning and behavior needs.

School Psychologist: Professionals who support students’ ability to learn and teachers’ ability to teach by assessing and addressing behavioral, emotional, and academic issues.

Special Education: Specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability.

Specially-designed Instruction: Adapting the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to address the unique needs of a child with a disability and ensure their access to the general curriculum.

SLD (Specific Learning Disability): A disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written, that may affect a child’s ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations.

SLP (Speech and Language Pathologist): Professionals who diagnose and treat speech, language, and communication disorders.

Summer School: Educational programs offered during the summer to provide additional instruction or enrichment to students, a general education offering different than ESY services.

Supplementary Aids and Services: Supports provided in regular education classes and other education-related settings to enable children with disabilities to be educated with non-disabled children to the maximum extent appropriate.

Transition IEP: An IEP that includes goals and services to help students with disabilities transition from school to post-school activities, including higher education, employment, and independent living.

Transition Services: A coordinated set of activities for a student with a disability, designed to facilitate the transition from school to post-school activities.

Travel Training: Instruction to help students with disabilities develop an awareness of their environment and learn the skills necessary to move effectively and safely within that environment.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): An acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment.

Universal Screening: Assessments administered to all students to identify those who may need additional support or interventions.

Visual Impairment: An impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

Vision Specialists: Professionals who provide services to students with visual impairments, including orientation and mobility training.

Vocational Education: Training programs focused on preparing students for specific trades, professions, or careers, often including practical experience.

504 Plan (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act): A plan developed to ensure that a child with a disability identified under the law receives accommodations that ensure their academic success and access to the learning environment.