ACRONYMS
ABA: Applied Behavior Analysis
ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act
ADD/ADHD: Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder
AI: Auditorily Impaired
APA: Alternate Proficiency Assessment
AYP: Adequate Yearly Progress
BIP: Behavior Intervention Plan
CI: Communication Impaired
CST: Child Study Team
DOE: Department of Education
ED: Emotionally Disturbed
EIP: Early Intervention Program
ESY: Extended School Year
FAPE: Free Appropriate Public Education; a right mandated for every child under federal law.
FBA: Functional Behavior Assessment- a formal analysis of student behavior to identify problem behaviors and inform interventions.
FERPA: Family Educational Rights to Privacy Act
ID: Intellectually Disabled
IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act / IDEA 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
IEP: Individualized Education Program
ISP: Individualized Service Plan
I&RS: Intervention and Referral Services
LDT-C: Learning Disability Teacher-Consultant (or Learning Consultant)
LRE: Least Restrictive Environment
NCLB: No Child Left Behind Act
OHI: Other Health Impaired
OSEP: Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education
OSERS: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, US Department of Education
OT: Occupational Therapy
PLAAFP: Present Levels of Academic and Functional Performance
PT: Physical Therapy
SLD: Specific Learning Disability- an significant learning difficulty in one (or more) of eight areas enabling a student to qualify for special education.
TBI: Traumatic Brain Injury
GLOSSARY
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
A set of scientific principles and guidelines which uses direct observation, measurement, and analysis of the relationship between the environment and behavior. In programming for students with autism, ABA employs intensive, highly structured teaching approaches where skills are broken down into their simplest most manageable form.
Accommodations
Techniques and materials that allow disabled individuals to complete school or work with greater ease and effectiveness. Examples include calculators, study guides, and extended time for completing assignments.
Assistive Technology (AT)
Any item, piece of equipment, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP)
A component of a child's IEP that describes behavioral interventions and strategies to decrease the instance of target behaviors and increase the use of positive replacement behaviors, as outlined in a Functional Behavioral Assessment.
Child Study Team
Consists of a school psychologist, a learning disabilities teacher/consultant, school social worker, and when needed, a speech-language specialist, responsible for conducting evaluations to determine eligibility for special education and related services for students with disabilities.
Developmental Delay
Failure to meet expected developmental milestones in one or more of the following areas: physical, social, emotional, intellectual, speech and language and/or adaptive development. Developmental delay is usually a diagnosis made by a doctor or early intervention specialist based on strict guidelines.
Dyslexia
A language processing disorder characterized by a difficulty in reading experienced by students who otherwise possess the intelligence and motivation considered necessary for accurate and fluent reading.
Extended School Year
Extended school year services are considered based on regression and recoupment of skills after a break in educational instruction. It is not intended to teach new skills; rather it is intended to maintain skills noted in the goals and objectives of a student’s IEP from the previous school year.
Functional Behavior Assessment
A process to determine which behaviors are limiting educational progress; to design interventions that decrease target behaviors; and to promote appropriate behavior(s) through positive behavioral supports.
- Behaviors must be identifiable to be measured
- must have an impact on the student’s educational functioning and/or the learning environment
Inclusion/Mainstreaming
The practice of exposing a student who has special education needs into general education classrooms for a least some or part of the student’s educational program as deemed appropriate by the IEP team.
Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
The IEP is a written plan that describes in detail a child’s special education program. The IEP will describe how a child currently performs and the child’s specific instructional needs. The IEP will include detailed and measurable annual goals and short-term objectives or benchmarks.
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
To the maximum extent appropriate, students with disabilities are educated with students who are not disabled and special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of students with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature and severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.
Manifestation Determination
In connection with the discipline of students with disabilities, a determination whether or not the misconduct at issue was a manifestation of the disability.
New Jersey Tiered System of Supports
NJTSS is a framework of supports and interventions to improve student achievement, based on the core components of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support and the three tier prevention logic of Response to Intervention (RTI). With a foundation of strong district and school leadership, a positive school culture and climate and family and community engagement, NJTSS builds on Intervention and Referral Services (I&RS) and gives schools structure to meet the academic, behavioral, health, enrichment and social/emotional needs of all students.
Related Services
Services that are provided to help classified students to benefit from special education. The services are specified in the student’s IEP and are provided in conjunction with the special education program. Some examples of related services include: counseling services, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech/language services.
Transition
A coordinated set of activities for a student, for students identified as requring special education and related services. These services are designed within an outcome-oriented process, that promotes movement from school to post-school activities, including post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), independent living, or community participation.