Commonly Used Special Education Terms

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Commonly Used Special Education Terms COMMONLY USED SPECIAL EDUCATION TERMS Academic Life Skills (ALS) Instructional setting which focuses on academics and functional life skills. Academic and Vocational Life Skills (AVLS) Instructional setting which focuses on vocational/pre-vocational, functional life skills, as well as academics related to daily living. Accelerated Instructional Plan Intervention plan for accelerated instruction. The purpose of the AIP is to assist the student in achieving grade level achievement. Achievement Test A test designed to measure a child’s knowledge, skill and understanding in subject areas. For instance, these tests may measure the child’s reading comprehension, math calculation or spelling capability as compared to other children in the same grade or same age. Adaptive Behavior The ability to socially function in school, home or community environment. It involves skills such as: making friends, bathing and dressing appropriately, being punctual for appointments, budgeting, etc. Adequate Yearly Progress The method by which each state measures all students’ ability to meet the state’s student academic achievement standards. Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) Committee This Committee makes decisions regarding the special education needs of the child. It determines if the child has a disability, if special education services are needed, and if modifications in general education are required. The parent or surrogate parent is an important member, and is encouraged to attend and participate. Age / Grade Equivalent The scores from tests given to a student are defined in years and months that are equal to the average score of children of that age/grade group. Annual Goals These are broad academic or behavioral goals the child is to accomplish for the year (i.e., Lisa will master TEKS at the third grade level with 70% accuracy. Must be measurable according to IDEIA re-authorization [2004]). Assessment A process of determining student skills through a variety of means. Assessment SpED Terms 1/14 includes state or district wide tests (e.g., TAKS, RTPE or district administered achievement tests) and informal skill determination that occurs on an on-going basis in the classroom by the student’s teacher. Assessment does not require parental consent. Audiological Services This related service includes the evaluation of hearing ability and recommendation of certain types of hearing equipment for a child with a hearing impairment. Auditory Impairment A disability in which the child has hearing problems which delay or prevent him/her from developing speech, language or academic skill. Autism A rare disorder with a neurological basis, in which the child experiences severe language disorders, may display inappropriate bizarre behaviors, have abnormal intellectual capability, and have impaired social interactions. Battery of Tests A group of tests given to a child to determine strengths and weaknesses. Benchmark An intermediate step or level attained in acquiring a new skill. Behavior Intervention Class Classroom for students with severe emotional/behavioral concerns. Central Nervous System The brain and spinal cord. Change of Placement Referral Form (CPRF) Part of Student Intervention Team Planning process. Cognitive Intellectual abilities, such as memory and the ability to solve problems and make judgments. Comprehensive Learner Adapted Scope & Sequence Computerized program used to assess student skill gaps and generate goals for assisting teachers in the development of IEPs. Consent Before a child can be tested or placed in a special education program, a parent must give informed written permission for these services to take place. Consent is required for all formal evaluations. SpED Terms 1/14 Criteria The level of skill acquisition set by the ARD Committee and used to determine whether or not an educational goal/objective is being met. For example, a Acriteria@ for spelling achievement is correctly spelling 9 out of 10 words. Cumulative Record The main school file for a student’s educational records. The records begin when a child enters school and follows the child from school to school. They include information about health records, grades, attendance and achievement tests. Curriculum The subject matter a school is going to teach the child, including the use of special activities and materials to help the child learn. In Texas, curricular activities are the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Deaf-Blindness Students who meet the criteria for both Visual Impairment and Auditory Impairment fall into this category. The combination of these impairments causes such severe, significant communication and other developmental and educational problems, that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness. Due Process A guarantee of rights and privileges that neither the government nor any other public agency can take away. For example, the parent’s right to be notified before any action can be taken concerning their child. Early Childhood Public school education can begin at age 3 years for young children with a disability. Currently referred to as Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD). Educational Benefit Educational benefit is the second prong of the requirement for providing FAPE. Four factors for evaluating whether a child is receiving educational benefit: 1. whether there is an individualized program based on the student’s assessment and performance; 2. whether the individualized program is administered in the least restrictive environment (LRE); 3. whether the services are provided in a coordinated and collaborative manner by the key stakeholders and; 4. whether positive benefits are demonstrated both academically and non-academically. SpED Terms 1/14 Educational Diagnostician A professional in special education who gives tests to determine the academic and intellectual abilities of children. In some districts/states a school psychologist, a LSSP (Licensed Specialist in School Psychology) or a psychometrist may fulfill this role. Education Service Center (ESC) One of 20 regional offices within Texas to provide consultation, professional development and assistance to local school districts. Our local region is ESC XI and includes the counties of Cooke, Denton, Erath, Hood, Johnson, Parker, Pinto, Somervell, Tarrant and Wise. Emotional Disturbance (ED) A disability in which a child’s behavior is interfering with social skills, coping skills and/or academic areas. Evaluation An evaluation consists of tests or measures used to determine the child’s special needs. Evaluation may include intellectual, social, emotional, educational achievement, physical, auditory, speech, language, etc. Parental consent is required for evaluation. Expressive Language Describes how a child uses spoken or written language to communicate with others. Expressive language can also include gestures or hand signs. Eye-Hand Coordination The ability to use the eye and hand simultaneously to effectively complete a task. Activities of eye-hand coordination include copying designs from a book, cutting with scissors on a line, or painting with a brush. Fine Motor Development The skills developed by a child that involve precision tasks done with the hands, such as writing, gripping an object, playing with puzzles, stringing beads, etc. Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) In order to offer a free appropriate public education, the school district must comply with the procedural requirements of IDEA and the school district must design and implement a program reasonably calculated to enable the child to receive educational benefits. Functional Life Skills Functional life skills classes are designed to provide instruction for students whose educational needs cannot be met in other settings. Students have severe to profound delays in the area of cognition and are generally non-ambulatory and/or medically fragile. SpED Terms 1/14 General Education Program Education programs for all students. Students with disabilities must be allowed access to the general education program. Grade Placement Committee Makes decisions regarding a plan for accelerated instruction and grade advancement for students that do not pass the state mandated tests. (For students with disabilities this is the ARD Committee.) Gross Motor Development A person’s large muscle development exhibited in such skills as crawling, walking, jumping, throwing or running. Guardian A person who has legal authority to make decisions for a minor. The parent is the legal guardian of a minor child. A person 18 years or older does not have a guardian unless one is appointed by a court. Homebound Program An instructional arrangement for special education in which the teacher instructs the student at the hospital or home for a minimum of four hours a week. Inclusion An educational philosophy in which all children with disabilities are educated in only general education classrooms. The special services needed by the child would be provided within the general classroom setting. IDEA An acronym for The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Federal legislation which amended PL94-142 by adding two new disabilities (TBI & Autism), and required the planning of post secondary transitional services (Individual Transition Plan). IDEA was re-authorized in 1997 and again in 2004. It is now PL105-17. Individualized Education Program (IEP) A written plan for education and related services. It contains the educational/behavioral goals and
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