AEPA Special Education (NT601) key terms

The legal right of every eligible student with a disability to receive specially designed instruction and related services, at public expense, that meet their individual needs and confer meaningful educational benefit.

The federal law governing special education that guarantees eligible students with disabilities a free appropriate public education, procedural safeguards, and services delivered in the least restrictive environment.

The requirement that students with disabilities be educated alongside peers without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate, with removal occurring only when supplementary aids and services cannot support success.

An educational approach in which students with disabilities are educated in general education classrooms with appropriate supports, participating in the same curriculum and school community as their peers without disabilities.

A range of placement options-from full-time general education to residential settings-that an IEP team uses to select the least restrictive environment where a student's needs can be met.

A disorder in basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language that may affect listening, thinking, reading, writing, spelling, or mathematics, and that is not primarily caused by other disabilities or environmental factors.

A specific learning disability characterized by difficulty with accurate and fluent word recognition, decoding, and spelling, typically stemming from a phonological processing deficit rather than a lack of intelligence or instruction.

A developmental disability affecting social communication and interaction, often accompanied by restricted or repetitive behaviors and interests, with symptoms ranging widely in type and severity across individuals.

A disability category describing students with significant behavioral or emotional difficulties over a long period that adversely affect educational performance, such as anxiety, depression, or inappropriate behavior in school settings.

A condition characterized by significantly below-average intellectual functioning existing with limitations in adaptive behavior, such as communication, self-care, and social skills, that manifests during the developmental period.

The everyday skills a person needs to function independently and socially, including conceptual, social, and practical skills such as communication, self-care, and safety, used in identifying intellectual disability.

A neurodevelopmental condition marked by persistent inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity that interferes with functioning and may be addressed through accommodations or special education if it adversely affects learning.

A document under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act that provides accommodations and modifications so a student with a disability can access the general education program and learning environment.

Legally required rights that protect students and families during the special education process, including notice, access to records, participation in meetings, and mechanisms for resolving disputes such as mediation and due process.

A required written communication to parents explaining a school's proposal or refusal to initiate or change identification, evaluation, placement, or the provision of a free appropriate public education, including reasons and alternatives considered.

The legal obligation of states and school districts to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities who reside in the jurisdiction and may need special education and related services.

The formal process of requesting that a student be considered for special education evaluation, often initiated by a teacher or parent when interventions have not produced sufficient progress.

The comprehensive, multidisciplinary process of gathering information through assessments, observations, and records to determine whether a student has a disability and requires specially designed instruction.

A multi-tiered framework of increasingly intensive, evidence-based interventions and progress monitoring used to support struggling learners and to inform decisions about referral for special education evaluation.

A method of identifying learning disabilities by comparing a student's measured intellectual ability with academic achievement, where a significant gap between the two suggests a disability.

A group of professionals from different disciplines-such as teachers, psychologists, and therapists-who collaborate to evaluate a student and develop recommendations for services and supports.

A written legal document developed by a team that specifies a student's present levels of performance, measurable annual goals, special education and related services, accommodations, and placement.

The group responsible for developing and reviewing a student's IEP, typically including parents, general and special education teachers, a district representative, someone who can interpret evaluation results, and when appropriate the student.

A section of the IEP describing a student's current academic achievement and functional performance, including strengths, needs, and how the disability affects involvement in the general curriculum.

Statements in the IEP describing what a student is expected to achieve in a year, written so progress can be objectively measured and tied to identified needs and the general curriculum.

The IEP process, beginning by age sixteen in most states, that identifies goals and services to prepare a student for postsecondary education, employment, and independent living after leaving school.

The systematic, frequent collection and review of data on a student's performance to determine whether instruction or interventions are effective and whether goals are being met.

A set of brief, standardized probes in areas such as reading and math that are administered repeatedly to track student growth and evaluate the effectiveness of instruction over time.

The ongoing process of gathering information about student learning through tests, observations, work samples, and other methods to inform instruction and eligibility decisions.

Assessment conducted during instruction to monitor understanding and adjust teaching in real time, providing feedback to students rather than serving as a final grade.

Changes in how a student accesses instruction or demonstrates learning-such as extended time or preferential seating-that do not alter the content or expectations of the curriculum.

Changes to the content, level, or expectations of what a student is taught or assessed, such as reduced assignments or simplified texts, that alter the standard curriculum requirements.

An instructional planning framework that builds multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression into lessons so diverse learners can access content from the start.

An approach in which teachers adjust content, process, product, or learning environment based on student readiness, interests, and learning profiles so each learner can succeed.

A systematic process of identifying the antecedents, behaviors, and consequences that reveal why a student behaves a certain way, used to design effective behavior support rather than merely punish.

A written plan based on functional assessment data that specifies proactive strategies, replacement behaviors, and consequences to reduce problem behavior and teach appropriate skills.

A school-wide, tiered framework that teaches and reinforces expected behaviors through prevention, data-based decision making, and increasingly intensive supports for students who need them.

A collaborative arrangement in which a general education teacher and a special education teacher plan and deliver instruction together in an inclusive classroom, sharing responsibility for all students.

The cooperative process in which teachers, related service providers, and families share expertise and plan together to support student learning and coordinate services.

A structured teaching approach that clearly states objectives, models skills, guides practice with feedback, and provides independent practice, especially useful for students who need step-by-step support.

Temporary supports, such as prompts, models, or graphic organizers, that a teacher provides to help a student complete a task and gradually removes as competence grows.

The ability to recognize and manipulate the sound structure of spoken language, including syllables and individual sounds, which is foundational for learning to decode written words.

A scientific approach to behavior change that uses observation of antecedents and consequences and reinforcement principles to teach skills and reduce challenging behaviors, often used with students with autism.

Planned teaching of interpersonal behaviors such as turn taking, initiating conversation, and reading social cues, often delivered through modeling, role play, and guided practice.

Teaching of practical daily living competencies-such as cooking, money management, hygiene, and transportation-that prepare students with significant disabilities for greater independence.