Parent's Dictionary of Terms Used in Special Education*
*Note: The following definitions have been compiled from a variety of sources. The contents of this dictionary do not necessarily represent definitions endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education.
adaptive development - development of the child in comparison to other children the same age. This might include the child's ability to dress himself, feed himself, toilet training, how he/she plays with other children, how he/she plays alone, understanding dangers in crossing the street, how he/she behaves if mother leaves the room, etc.
advocate - someone who takes action to help someone else (as in "educational advocate"); also, to take action on someone's behalf
amendment - a change, revision, or addition made to a law
appeal - a written request for a change in a decision; also, to make such a request
appropriate - able to meet a need; suitable or fitting; in special education, it usually means the most normal situation possible
assessment - a collecting and bringing together of information about a child's needs, which may include social, psychological, and educational evaluations used to determine services; a process using observation, testing, and test analysis to determine an individual's strengths and weaknesses in order to plan his or her educational services
assessment team - a team of people from different backgrounds who observe and test a child to determine his or her strengths and weaknesses
at risk - a term used with children who have, or could have, problems with their development that may affect later learning
Child Find - a service directed by each state's Department of Education or lead agency for identifying and diagnosing unserved children with disabilities; while Child Find looks for all unserved children, it makes a special effort to identify children from birth to six years old
cognitive - a term that describes the process people use for remembering, reasoning, understanding, and using judgement; in special education terms, a cognitive disability refers to difficulty in learning
comprehensive service system - refers to a list of 14 areas each participating state is to provide under early intervention services. These 14 points range from definition of developmentally delayed, to guidelines for identification, assessment, and provision of early intervention services for the child and family, and include timelines and quality control
counseling - advice or help given by someone qualified to give such advice or help (often psychological counseling)
developmental - having to do with the steps or stages in growth and development before the age of 18 years
developmental history - the developmental
progress of a child (ages birth to 18 years) in such skills as sitting, walking, talking,
or learning
developmental tests - standardized tests that measure a child's development as it compares
to the development of all other children at that age
disability - the result of any physical or mental condition that affects or prevents one's ability to develop, achieve, and/or function in an educational setting at a normal rate
due process (procedure) - action that protects a person's rights; in special education, this applies to action taken to protect the educational rights of students with disabilities
early interventionist - someone who specializes
in early childhood development, usually having a Master's degree or Ph.D. in an area
related to the development of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers
early intervention policies - see policy/policies
early intervention services or programs - programs or services designed to identify and treat a developmental problem as early as possible, before age 3 (services for 3-5 year olds are referred to as preschool services)
eligible - able to qualify
evaluation - (as applied to children from birth through two years of age) the procedures used to determine if a child is eligible for early intervention services; (as applied to preschool and school-aged children) the procedures used to determine whether a child has a disability and the nature and extent of the special education and related services the child needs
free appropriate public education [often referred to as FAPE] - one of the key requirements of IDEA, which requires that an education program be provided for all school-aged children (regardless of disability) without cost to families; the exact requirements of "appropriate" are not defined, but other references within the law imply the most "normal" setting available
handicap - see disability
identification - the process of locating and identifying children needing special services
Individualized Education Program (IEP) - a written education plan for a school-aged child with disabilities developed by a team of professionals (teachers, therapists, etc.) and the child's parents; it is reviewed and updated yearly and describes how the child is presently doing, what the child's learning needs are, and what services the child will need; (For children ages birth through 2 years, the IFSP is used.)
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) - a written statement for an infant or toddler (ages birth through 2 years old) developed by a team of people who have worked with the child and the family; the IFSP must describe the child's development levels; family information; major outcomes expected to be achieved for the child and family; the services the child will be receiving; when and where the child will receive these services; and the steps to be taken to support the transition of the child to another program; the IFSP will also list the name of the service coordinator assigned to the child and his/her family
lead agency - the agency (office) within a state or territory in charge of overseeing and coordinating service systems for children ages birth through 2
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) - an educational setting or program that provides a student with disabilities with the chance to work and learn to the best of his or her ability; it also provides the student as much contact as possible with children without disabilities, while meeting all of the child's learning needs and physical requirements
multidisciplinary - a team approach involving specialists in more than one discipline, such as a team made up of a physical therapist, a speech and language pathologist, a child development specialist, an occupational therapist, or other specialists as needed
occupational therapy - a therapy or treatment provided by an occupational therapist that helps individual developmental or physical skills that will aid in daily living; it focuses on sensory integration, on coordination of movement, and on fine motor and self-help skills, such as dressing, eating with a fork and spoon, etc.
parent training and information programs - programs that provide information to parents of children with special needs about acquiring services, working with schools and educators to ensure the most effective educational placement for their child, understanding the methods of testing and evaluating a child with special needs, and making informed decisions about their child's special needs
physical therapy - treatment of (physical) disabilities given by a trained physical therapist (under doctor's orders) that includes the use of massage, exercise, etc. to help the person improve the use of bones, muscles, joints, and nerves
placement - the classroom, program, service, and/or therapy that is selected for a student with special needs
policy/policies - rules and regulations; as related to early intervention and special education programs, the rules that a state or local school system has for providing services for and educating its students with special needs
private agency - a non-public agency which may be receiving public funds to provide services for some children
private therapist - any professional
(therapist, tutor, psychologist, etc.) not connected with the public school system or with
a public agency
program(s) - in special education, a service, placement, and/or therapy designed to help a
child with special needs
psychologist - a specialist in the field of psychology, usually having a Master's degree or Ph.D. in psychology
public agency - an agency, office, or organization that is supported by public funds and serves the community at large
Public Law (P.L.) 94-142 - a law passed in 1975 requiring that public schools provide a "free appropriate public education" to school-aged children ages 3-21 (exact ages depend on your state's mandate), regardless of disabling condition; also called the Education For All Handicapped Children Act, with recent amendments now called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Public Law (P.L.) 102-119 - passed in 1991, this is an amendment to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which requires states and territories to provide a "free appropriate public education" to all children ages 3-21; and provides funds for states and territories to plan a comprehensive service system for infants and toddlers (ages birth through 2 years) with disabilities
related services - transportation and developmental, corrective, and other support services that a child with disabilities requires in order to benefit from education; examples of related services include: speech pathology and audiology, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, counseling services, interpreters for the hearing impaired, and medical services for diagnostic and evaluation purposes
service coordinator - someone who acts as a coordinator of an infant's or toddler's services, working in partnership with the family and providers of special programs; service coordinators may be employed by the early intervention agency
services/service delivery - the services (therapies, instruction, treatment) given to a child with special needs
special education - see special education programs and services
special education coordinator - the person in charge of special education programs at the school, district, or state level
special education programs/services - programs, services, or specially designed instruction (offered at no cost to families) for children over 3 years old with special needs who are found eligible for such services; these include special learning methods or materials in the regular classroom, and special classes and programs if the learning or physical problems indicate this type of program
special needs - (as in "special needs" child) - a term to describe a child who has disabilities or who is at risk of developing disabilities and who, therefore, requires special services or treatment in order to progress
speech/language pathology - a planned program to improve and/or correct communication problems
