For anyone who is not a special education professional, it is daunting to make sense of all of the terminology. The acronyms and legalese native to “special ed lingo” are not exactly user-friendly. For any parent of a child with a disability diagnosis, it’s important to know the lingo to be the best advocate for your child. Here are simple definitions for some of the most important terms you should learn.
Accommodation:
a change in the student’s environment or the instructional tools and strategies used to teach that student. This could mean having a test read aloud to a student, or letting them wear noise-canceling headphones while working. Accommodations for a student with dysgraphia or dyscalculia will be different from those for a student with ADHD; that’s where the IEP comes in (see below).
Alternate Assessment:
Sometimes a student’s disability is severe enough that the student would be unable to sit through a standardized assessment even with accommodations. In such cases, student can be assessed using alternate methods determined by the IEP Team.
BIP (Behavioral Intervention Plan):
This document follows the FBA findings. It outlines a precise and detailed plan for preventing and responding to the behavior or behaviors observed in the FBA.
Due Process:
Parents have the legal right to disagree with a school’s decision or action plan regarding their child. Due process refers to the steps a parent needs to take in order to make a formal dispute. The first step is submitting a written complaint to the school. The complaint could refer to your child’s eligibility for services, or services your student is or is not receiving.
FAPE (Free and Appropriate Public Education):
This portion of IDEA refers to the student’s right to receive a public education that is both free and appropriate to their needs, regardless of the severity of the disability. A family does not have to pay for services to address the child’s needs, or enroll their child in a non-public specialized school, unless they choose to do so.
FBA (Functional Behavioral Assessment):
Conducted when a student’s behavior in school is believed to be related to his/her disability. The FBA consists primarily of observation and detailed note-taking to determine what is causing a student’s behavior.
IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act):
A federal law giving your child their rights as a person with a disability. These rights include the right to receive the services they need and the right to a free and public education. The IDEA also includes the right to an education in the least restrictive environment (LRE—see below).
IEE (Independent Educational Evaluation):
A professional within your child’s school district almost always conducts the initial evaluation. You may be dissatisfied with the evaluation results, or the district may not have the expertise to evaluate your child’s unique needs. In that case, you or the school may seek an outside evaluator who is unrelated to the school. Whether you or the school requested the outside evaluation, the school must consider the results.
IEP (Individualized Education Plan):
The official legal document stating a student’s diagnosis, and the supports and services they will receive. An IEP is typically written for a student after an official neuropsychological or educational evaluation. It determines whether or not there is a disability and how much it impacts a student’s ability to learn. However, A parent must approve this document before implementation!
IEP Team:
Members depend on two factors: current services received, and current school setting (self-contained, ICT, or general education). The student’s general and/or Special Education teacher will always attend IEP meetings. They provide suggestions for the student’s programming, including annual goals, and give input on whether the student might need additional services. If this is an initial IEP meeting (the first one ever for the student), or a special meeting that takes place every three years, a psychologist is present to summarize findings of the evaluation. If the student receives services like Speech, Therapy, or Counseling, those providers will attend as well, if their schedule allows. When they cannot attend, another member of the IEP Team will deliver their notes. The most important members of the IEP team are the student’s parents/guardians. While the school professionals suggest what they believe is best for the student, the family always has the final say.
Inclusion:
Refers to classrooms with a mix of students with special needs and more typical learners, also known as ICT (Integrated Co-Teaching). In this setting, the ratio of students with special needs to those without cannot exceed 40/60. These classrooms always have one general education teacher and one special education teacher working together to teach all students.
LRE (Least Restrictive Environment):
When determining the most appropriate setting for a student and the services he or she needs, it is always a priority to only give the student the services needed in order to be successful. The goal is to put the student in the setting that is closest to the general education classroom and learning experience while providing them the accommodations that student needs to be successful.
Modification:
Refers to a change in expectations about the content that the student learns, or the work a student produces. For example, teachers may adjust the length of a term paper, or assign a one-step word problem instead of two steps.
PLAAFP (Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance) /PLOP (Present Level of Performance):
These two acronyms are essentially interchangeable. Both relate to how your child is currently performing in school with regard to both academic and social/emotional development. When discussing a student’s IEP, the term PLOP takes precedence. It is a key component of the IEP and dictates what the student’s annual goals will be.
Prior Written Notice:
Any time the school makes a change to your child’s educational program or services, or is going to begin or discontinue services, they must provide you with prior written notice before the change takes place.
Related Services:
Any service outside of the general classroom curriculum provided to the student to address learning needs. Some of the most common related services include Speech, Occupational or Physical Therapy, Counseling, and SETSS.
SETSS (Special Education Teacher Support Services):
Students who receive SETSS have a teacher who is not their classroom teacher working with them a set number of times per week. These sessions can be “push-in” (the teacher comes into the classroom during a lesson to work one-on-one with that student) or “pull-out” (the teacher takes the student out of the classroom for a separate lesson, conducted individually or in a small group). These services are always in Reading, Writing, and/or Math. (SETSS does not include Speech and Occupational/Physical Therapy)
504 Plan:
Similar to an IEP in some ways, but a bit less complex. An IEP provides an outline of the special education services a student will receive. A 504 Plan details changes to the general education setting needed in order for a student to perform to the best of their abilities. A 504 plan is a bit less restrictive and easier for a student to get than an IEP. Both require that the student have a diagnosed disability.
Looking for more guidance from an expert? Connect with one of our Braintrust learning specialists today for private tutoring! Braintrust educators have the training and expertise to create a better learning experience for your unique child.
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