OSAT OK085 cheat sheet

IDEA categories are 13 discrete disability labels; a student must meet one category's definition and, because of the disability, need special education and related services to qualify.

Learning disability (SLD) determination requires a severe discrepancy OR response-to-intervention data OR a pattern of strengths and weaknesses; a discrepancy formula alone is not mandated.

Intellectual disability is defined by significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning (typically IQ about 70 or below, ±5 measurement error) coexisting with deficits in adaptive behavior, manifesting before age 18.

Autism under IDEA is a developmental disability affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age 3, that adversely affects educational performance; it excludes emotional disturbance and does not require intellectual disability.

Emotional disturbance requires one or more characteristics (e.g., inability to learn unexplained by other factors, relationship problems, inappropriate behavior, depression, physical symptoms) over a long period to a marked degree.

Speech or language impairment includes stuttering, impaired articulation, language impairment, or voice impairment; it does not include voice disorders that are not educationally relevant.

Other health impairment covers limited strength, vitality, or alertness due to chronic or acute health problems (e.g., ADHD, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy); ADHD is typically served under OHI, not a separate category.

Deaf-blindness, traumatic brain injury, and multiple disabilities are low-incidence categories; TBI is an acquired injury to the brain caused by external physical force, not congenital or degenerative.

Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act) prohibits discrimination based on disability and requires accommodations for students who have a physical or mental impairment substantially limiting a major life activity but who do not need special education.

Evaluation must use a variety of assessment tools and strategies, not a single measure, and must be conducted in the child's native language or mode of communication unless clearly not feasible.

A full initial evaluation must be completed within 60 days of parental consent (or the state-established timeline), and eligibility is determined by a team including the parents.

IEP required components: present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP), measurable annual goals, description of progress measurement, special education and related services, least restrictive environment explanation, accommodations, and transition planning by age 16.

PLAAFP must describe the student's current performance, how the disability affects involvement in the general curriculum, and baseline data that goals are built from.

Annual goals must be measurable, tied to the PLAAFP, and address academic and functional needs; short-term objectives are required only for students assessed against alternate achievement standards.

Least restrictive environment requires justification in the IEP when a student is removed from the general education classroom, and the placement decision follows the IEP, not precedes it.

Assessments must be valid and reliable for the purpose used, administered by trained personnel, and selected and administered to not be racially or culturally discriminatory.

Reevaluation occurs at least every three years unless the parent and school agree it is unnecessary; a reevaluation is also required before determining a student is no longer eligible.

Accommodations change how a student accesses content (e.g., extended time, read-aloud, preferential seating); modifications change what the student is expected to learn or the performance standard.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) rests on three principles: multiple means of representation (the what), multiple means of action and expression (the how), and multiple means of engagement (the why).

Explicit instruction sequence: review prior knowledge, state objective, model (I do), guided practice (we do), independent practice (you do), and cumulative review with feedback.

Scaffolding is temporary support faded as competence grows; examples include graphic organizers, sentence frames, chunking, and modeled think-alouds.

Positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) use a multi-tiered continuum: universal (Tier 1), targeted (Tier 2), and intensive individualized (Tier 3) supports based on data.

Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) identifies antecedents, behaviors, and consequences (ABC) to build a behavior intervention plan (BIP) that teaches replacement behaviors.

Progress monitoring uses brief, frequent probes (e.g., curriculum-based measurement) graphed against a goal line to judge whether an intervention is working and to adjust instruction.

Cooperative learning and peer tutoring provide structured peer interaction that supports social and academic development when roles and expectations are explicitly taught.

Assistive technology ranges from low-tech (pencil grips, highlighters) to high-tech (speech-to-text, AAC devices); the IEP team must consider AT for every student with a disability.

Explicit strategy instruction (e.g., mnemonic devices, self-monitoring checklists, paraphrasing/summarizing strategies) improves comprehension and independent learning for students with learning disabilities.

The IEP team includes parents, at least one general education teacher (if the student is or may be in general education), at least one special education teacher, a district representative qualified to provide or supervise services, someone who can interpret evaluation results, and the student when appropriate.

Co-teaching models include one teach/one observe, one teach/one assist, station teaching, parallel teaching, alternative teaching, and team teaching.

Consultation and collaboration require shared goal-setting, defined roles, regular communication, and joint problem-solving using student data.

Confidentiality under FERPA gives parents the right to inspect and review records, request amendment, and consent to disclosure; directory information may be released unless the parent opts out.

Procedural safeguards under IDEA include prior written notice, parental consent, access to records, independent educational evaluation (IEE), and due process/mediation options.

Dispute resolution options include mediation, state complaint, and due process hearing; mediation is voluntary and cannot be used to deny or delay a due process hearing.

Paraprofessionals work under the supervision of certified staff; they may provide instructional support but do not design instruction or make eligibility decisions.

Cultural reciprocity means professionals examine their own cultural assumptions and negotiate goals with families rather than imposing school values.

Transition planning involves coordinated activities and interagency linkages (e.g., vocational rehabilitation) beginning no later than age 16, with measurable postsecondary goals.