Special Education Glossary

ADA Americans with Disabilities Act

ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

ASD: Autism Spectrum Disorder

ASL: American Sign Language

AT: Assistive Technology

BIP: Behavior Intervention Plan

CSC: Case Study Committee

DD: Developmental Disabilities; Developmental Delay

EI: Early Intervention

ESY: Extended School Year

FAPE: Free Appropriate Public Education

FBA: Functional Behavioral Assessment

IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

IFSP: Individualized Family Service Plan

IEP: Individualized Education Program

LD: Learning Disability

LRE: Least Restrictive Environment

MDT: Multidisciplinary Team

OHI: Other Health Impairment

OT: Occupational Therapy

PBIS: Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

PDD: Pervasive Developmental Disorder

PT: Physical Therapy

RTI: Response to Intervention

SLD: Specific Learning Disability

SLD: Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist

SST: Student Support Team

Autism: A developmental disability that affects a person’s ability to communicate and socialize effectively.

Cognitive Disability: A disability that affects a person's ability to learn, think, and reason.

Deaf-blindness: A condition in which a person has both visual and hearing impairments that cause severe communication and educational needs.

Deafness: A hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing.

Disability: A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

Emotional disturbance: A condition that impacts a child’s behavior and ability to learn, including anxiety, depression, and disruptive behaviors.

Hearing impairment: A partial or total loss of hearing that impacts a child’s ability to learn.

Intellectual disability: Significant limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior that affect a child's ability to learn.

Learning Disability: A disorder that affects a person's ability to acquire and process information effectively.

Multiple disabilities: A combination of two or more disabilities that significantly impacts a child’s educational needs.

Orthopedic impairment: A physical disability that impacts a child’s ability to move and learn, such as cerebral palsy or amputations.

Other health impairment: A condition that affects a child’s strength, energy, or alertness, such as ADHD, asthma, or diabetes.

Specific learning disability: A disorder that impacts a child’s ability to learn in one or more areas, such as reading, writing, or math.

Speech or language impairment: A communication disorder that impacts a child’s ability to speak, understand, or express themselves.

Traumatic brain injury: A brain injury caused by an external force that results in a functional disability that impacts a child’s educational performance.

Visual impairment: A partial or total loss of vision that impacts a child’s ability to learn.

Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP): A plan developed by the IEP team to address problematic behaviors in a student with a disability.

Early Intervention: Services provided to children with disabilities from birth to three years old to help them develop important skills.

Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE): Schools must provide a free and appropriate public education to all students with disabilities, regardless of the severity of their disability.

Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA): A process used to identify the reasons behind a student's problematic behavior.

Prereferral: The process of collecting data on students’ response to strategies and interventions in the general education setting to submit to the special education team. 

Procedural Safeguards: The IDEA provides procedural safeguards to ensure that parents and students with disabilities are protected and have a voice in the education process. This includes the right to due process if there is a disagreement between parents and the school regarding the child's education.

Response to Intervention (RTI): A process used to identify students who are struggling academically or behaviorally and provide them with additional support.

Accommodations: Changes made to the learning environment or materials that enable a student with a disability to access the curriculum.

Assistive Technology: Devices or equipment that can help students with disabilities perform tasks that might otherwise be difficult or impossible.

Inclusion: The practice of including students with disabilities in general education classrooms and activities to the greatest extent possible.

Individualized Education Program (IEP): Schools must develop an individualized education program for each student with a disability, which outlines the student's specific needs, goals, and services that will be provided to meet those needs.

Least Restrictive Environment (LRE): Students with disabilities must be educated in the least restrictive environment that is appropriate for their needs. This means that schools must provide education in the general education classroom whenever possible, and provide specialized instruction and services when necessary.

Modifications: Changes made to the curriculum or assessment that alter the content or expectations for a student with a disability.

Occupational Therapy (OT): A therapy that focuses on helping students develop the skills they need to perform activities of daily living.

Physical Therapy (PT): A therapy that focuses on improving a student's mobility, strength, and coordination.

Related Services: Services provided to students with disabilities that support their education, such as transportation, counseling, or speech therapy.

Self-Contained Classroom: A classroom that is designed specifically for students with disabilities and provides instruction in a separate setting from the general education classroom.

Speech-Language Pathology (SLP): A therapy that focuses on improving a student's communication skills, including speech, language, and social communication.

Transition Services: Services provided to students with disabilities to help them prepare for life after high school, including post-secondary education, employment, and independent living.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): A teaching framework that involves designing instruction and materials that are accessible to all students, including those with disabilities.