Glossary
Special education glossary
Plain-language definitions of common special education terms. Prefer official IDEA, U.S. Department of Education, and TEA framing. Definitions are educational, not legal advice. No sales pitches here.
A
AAC (Augmentative and alternative communication)
Methods and tools that help a person communicate when speech alone is not enough, such as picture systems, speech-generating devices, or sign supports. AAC can be considered as assistive technology or as part of communication services when needed for FAPE.
Related: Assistive technology
Accommodation
A change in how a student learns or shows what they know (for example extra time, preferential seating, or text-to-speech) without changing the learning expectation itself. Distinct from a modification, which changes what is taught or expected.
Related: Accommodations vs modifications · Modification
Age of majority
The age when a student gains adult legal rights under state law. Under IDEA, rights may transfer from parents to the student at that age unless a state provides otherwise or another adult has legal authority. Schools must notify families before the transfer.
Related: Surrogate parent · Parent (IDEA)
Annual goals
Measurable IEP goals that describe what the student can reasonably be expected to accomplish in a year, based on present levels. Goals should guide specially designed instruction and related services.
Related: PLAAFP
ARD (Admission, Review, and Dismissal)
In Texas, the ARD committee is the IEP team that admits a student to special education, reviews the program, and dismisses when appropriate. ARD is Texas language for the IDEA IEP team meeting process.
Related: Texas: What is an ARD? · IEP meeting prep
AT (Assistive technology)
Devices, software, or services that help a student with a disability increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities needed for school. The IEP team considers whether AT is required for FAPE. AT can range from low-tech tools to complex devices.
Related: AAC
Autism (IDEA disability category; sometimes labeled AU)
Under IDEA, autism is a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely affects educational performance. Eligibility is an educational determination under IDEA criteria, not the same as a clinical diagnosis alone.
Related: IDEA · Request an evaluation
B
BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan)
A written plan that describes strategies, supports, and responses to address behaviors that interfere with learning. A BIP is often developed or revised after an FBA.
Related: What is an FBA / BIP?
C
Change of placement
A significant change in the educational setting or services where a student with a disability receives FAPE. Certain disciplinary removals can count as a change of placement under IDEA and trigger additional procedures, including parent notice and, in some cases, an MDR.
Child Find
The IDEA duty of states and districts to identify, locate, and evaluate children who may need special education and related services, including children who are homeless, wards of the state, or attending private school.
Related: Child Find / early childhood guide · Request an evaluation
Consent (Informed parent consent)
Under IDEA, consent generally means the parent is fully informed in their native language or other mode of communication, understands and agrees in writing to the activity, and understands that consent is voluntary and may be revoked. Initial evaluation and initial provision of special education typically require consent.
Related: Procedural safeguards
D
Deaf-blindness
An IDEA disability category for concomitant hearing and visual impairments that cause severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness.
Related: Hearing impairment · Visual impairment
Developmental delay
An IDEA option (for ages defined by the state, within early childhood ranges) covering delays in physical, cognitive, communication, social/emotional, or adaptive development. Not every state uses this category the same way. Confirm your state education agency rules.
Related: Child Find
Due process hearing
A formal IDEA dispute-resolution process in which an impartial hearing officer decides a complaint about identification, evaluation, educational placement, or provision of FAPE. It is one option among others such as mediation. Procedures and filing rules are set by IDEA and the state.
Related: Mediation · Resolution session
E
ED (Emotional disturbance; IDEA category)
An IDEA disability category involving certain emotional or behavioral characteristics, over a long period and to a marked degree, that adversely affect educational performance, as defined in federal regulations. Labeling is for educational eligibility under IDEA, not a clinical diagnosis by itself.
ESC (Education Service Center)
In Texas, one of twenty regional Education Service Centers that support school districts with training, technical assistance, and other services, including special education support. ESC is a Texas regional structure, not a federal IDEA term.
Related: Texas hub
ESY (Extended school year)
Special education and related services beyond the normal school year, provided according to the IEP, when the IEP team determines they are necessary for FAPE. Decisions are individualized. Common factors teams discuss include regression and recoupment, among others depending on state guidance.
Related: IEP
F
FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education)
Under IDEA, eligible students with disabilities are entitled to special education and related services provided at public expense, under public supervision, and in conformity with an IEP, designed to provide educational benefit.
Related: IEP
FBA (Functional Behavior Assessment)
A process used to understand why a behavior occurs (its triggers, consequences, and function) so teams can design effective supports. FBAs inform Behavior Intervention Plans.
Related: What is an FBA / BIP?
FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)
A federal law about privacy of student education records and parent (or eligible student) rights to inspect and seek amendment of those records, with defined exceptions for disclosure. It is separate from IDEA, though both can matter for school records.
Related: Procedural safeguards
FIIE (Full Individual and Initial Evaluation)
Texas term for the comprehensive initial evaluation used to determine whether a student has a disability under IDEA and needs special education. Timelines and procedures are set by federal and Texas rules; confirm current TEA guidance.
Related: Texas evaluations
G
Guardian
A person appointed under state law to make certain decisions for a child or adult. Guardianship is a state legal status and is different from IDEA's parent definition, though a guardian may act as a parent for IDEA purposes when they meet the regulatory definition.
Related: Parent (IDEA) · Age of majority
H
HI (Hearing impairment; IDEA category)
An IDEA disability category for impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child's educational performance but is not included under the deafness category as defined in the regulations.
Related: Deaf-blindness · Related services
I
IAES (Interim alternative educational setting)
A temporary educational setting used in certain IDEA discipline situations (for example, specific weapon, drug, or serious bodily injury circumstances, or in other cases as ordered), for a limited period while services continue. Rules are detailed; confirm with official IDEA and state guidance.
Related: Change of placement · MDR
ID (Intellectual disability; IDEA category)
An IDEA disability category characterized by significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects educational performance. Educational eligibility follows IDEA criteria.
Related: IDEA · Request an evaluation
IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)
The primary federal law guaranteeing eligible children with disabilities the right to FAPE through special education and related services, including procedural safeguards for parents.
Related: sites.ed.gov/idea
IEE (Independent educational evaluation)
An evaluation conducted by a qualified examiner who is not employed by the school district responsible for the child's education. Under IDEA, parents may request an IEE at public expense if they disagree with a district evaluation, subject to the conditions in the regulations.
Related: Request an evaluation · Procedural safeguards
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
A written plan developed by the IEP team that describes a student's present levels, annual goals, special education services, related services, accommodations, and placement in the least restrictive environment.
Related: IEP vs 504 · IEP meeting prep
IEP team
The group required by IDEA to develop, review, and revise the IEP, typically including parents, at least one general education teacher, at least one special education teacher, a district representative, someone who can interpret evaluation results, and the student when appropriate. In Texas this team is often called the ARD committee.
Related: IEP meeting prep
Inclusion
Educating students with disabilities alongside peers without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate, with needed supports. Closely tied to the LRE requirement under IDEA.
Related: LRE · LRE / inclusion guide
L
LEA (Local educational agency)
The local school district or other public authority responsible for providing education and for implementing IDEA duties for students in its jurisdiction. Parents usually interact with the LEA for evaluations, IEPs, and services.
Related: SEA
LRE (Least Restrictive Environment)
IDEA's requirement that students with disabilities be educated with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate, and that removal to separate settings occur only when the nature or severity of the disability prevents satisfactory education in regular classes with supplementary aids and services.
Related: Supplementary aids and services · LRE / inclusion guide
M
MDR (Manifestation Determination Review)
A meeting to decide whether conduct that would result in a disciplinary change of placement was caused by, or had a direct and substantial relationship to, the student's disability, or was the direct result of the school's failure to implement the IEP.
Related: Texas MDR · Change of placement
Mediation
A voluntary IDEA dispute-resolution option in which a qualified, impartial mediator helps parents and the school resolve disagreements. Discussions are confidential under IDEA rules. Mediation can occur with or without a due process complaint, depending on the situation.
Related: Due process hearing · Resolution session
Modification
A change in what a student is expected to learn or demonstrate (for example reduced assignment complexity or alternate curriculum standards). Different from an accommodation, which changes access without changing the expectation.
Related: Accommodations vs modifications
MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports)
A framework many schools use to provide layered academic and behavioral supports to all students, with more intensive help for those who need it. MTSS can coexist with special education referral. It is not a substitute for Child Find when a disability is suspected.
Related: RTI · Request an evaluation
Multiple disabilities
An IDEA disability category for concomitant impairments (such as intellectual disability and blindness) that cause such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the impairments. The category does not include deaf-blindness.
Related: Deaf-blindness · IDEA
O
OCR (Office for Civil Rights)
The U.S. Department of Education office that enforces certain federal civil rights laws in education, including Section 504 and Title II disability nondiscrimination issues in schools. Families sometimes file OCR complaints about disability discrimination. Processes can change; use current official OCR information.
Related: ed.gov OCR
OHI (Other health impairment)
An IDEA disability category for having limited strength, vitality, or alertness (including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli) that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, due to chronic or acute health problems, and that adversely affects educational performance.
Related: IDEA · Request an evaluation
OI (Orthopedic impairment)
An IDEA disability category for a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance, including impairments caused by congenital anomaly, disease, or other causes (such as cerebral palsy or amputations), as described in the federal definition.
Related: Related services · PT
OSERS (Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services)
The federal office within the U.S. Department of Education that leads national policy and support related to educating children and youth with disabilities and rehabilitative services. IDEA program administration sits in this structure. Check current official pages for how materials are organized.
Related: ed.gov OSERS
OT (Occupational therapy)
A related service that can help students develop, improve, or restore functions for participating in school (such as fine motor skills, sensory processing supports, or daily school routines) when required to benefit from special education.
Related: Related services
P
Parent (IDEA definition, brief)
Under IDEA, “parent” can include a biological or adoptive parent, a foster parent (unless state law prohibits), a guardian generally authorized to act as the child's parent, an individual acting in the place of a parent with whom the child lives or who is legally responsible, or a surrogate parent. Details are in the federal regulations.
Related: Surrogate parent · Guardian
PLAAFP (Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance; also called PLEP)
The IEP section describing how the student is currently doing in academic and functional areas, and how the disability affects involvement and progress in the general curriculum. Goals and services should connect to these present levels.
Related: Annual goals · Present levels
Positive behavior supports
Approaches that prevent problem behavior, teach new skills, and reinforce helpful behavior, often informed by an FBA. The focus is on environmental supports and skill building rather than punishment alone.
Related: FBA / BIP
Present levels
Short name for the IEP's description of current academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP/PLEP). Present levels are the foundation for annual goals and service decisions.
Related: PLAAFP
Procedural safeguards
The rights and protections IDEA gives parents and students, including notice, consent, access to records, and dispute resolution options. Schools must provide a procedural safeguards notice; SEN's overview is not a substitute for that document.
Related: How to read procedural safeguards
Progress monitoring
Regular measurement of how a student is moving toward IEP goals or intervention targets. Results should be shared with parents as required and used to adjust instruction or services when progress stalls.
Related: Annual goals
PT (Physical therapy)
A related service addressing gross motor skills, mobility, and physical access needed for a student to benefit from special education, when the IEP team determines PT is required.
Related: Related services
PWN (Prior Written Notice)
Written notice schools must give parents a reasonable time before proposing or refusing to initiate or change the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of a child, or the provision of FAPE. In Texas, ARD-related PWN practice is a frequent parent question.
Related: Texas PWN
R
Related services
Developmental, corrective, and other supportive services required to help a child with a disability benefit from special education, such as speech-language pathology, OT, PT, counseling, and transportation (the IDEA list is illustrative).
Related: Related services guide · Transportation
Resolution session
A meeting required after a due process complaint is filed (unless waived) where parents and the school discuss the complaint and seek resolution before a hearing. IDEA sets timing and participation rules for this session.
Related: Due process hearing · Mediation
RTI (Response to Intervention)
A process of providing high-quality instruction and interventions matched to student need, with frequent progress monitoring. RTI data can inform referrals, but RTI should not delay a timely special education evaluation when a disability is suspected.
Related: MTSS · Request an evaluation
S
SEA (State educational agency)
The state-level agency responsible for supervising public education and for general supervision of IDEA implementation in the state (for example, TEA in Texas). SEAs issue guidance, monitor districts, and host parent resources.
Section 504 (504 plan)
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is a federal civil rights law. Eligible students with disabilities may receive a 504 plan of accommodations to ensure equal access. Distinct from an IEP under IDEA, though some students may be covered by both frameworks in different ways.
Related: IEP vs 504
SLD (Specific learning disability)
An IDEA disability category for a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written, that may show up as difficulty with listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, spelling, or math, as further defined in federal regulations.
Related: Request an evaluation · IDEA
Specially designed instruction
Adapting, as appropriate, the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to address a student's unique needs resulting from a disability and to ensure access to the general curriculum. This is a core part of special education under IDEA.
Related: IEP · Accommodations vs modifications
Speech-language (Speech-language pathology / speech therapy)
A related service addressing communication skills (articulation, language, fluency, voice, or pragmatic communication) when needed for a student to benefit from special education.
Related: Related services
Stay-put (Pendency)
During certain IDEA dispute-resolution processes, the student generally remains in the then-current educational placement unless the parents and the school agree otherwise (with specific exceptions, including some discipline situations). Confirm details in the procedural safeguards notice.
Related: Due process hearing · Procedural safeguards
Summary of Performance
A summary of the student's academic achievement and functional performance, including recommendations for meeting postsecondary goals, provided when a student's eligibility under IDEA terminates due to graduation with a regular diploma or exceeding the age of eligibility.
Related: Transition · Transition planning overview
Supplementary aids and services
Aids, services, and other supports provided in regular education classes or other education-related settings to enable students with disabilities to be educated with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate. Closely tied to LRE decisions.
Related: LRE · Accommodation
Surrogate parent
A person appointed to represent a child with a disability in IDEA matters when no parent can be identified or located, or in certain ward-of-the-state situations, under procedures set by the state. Surrogate parents have the rights of a parent for IDEA decision-making.
Related: Parent (IDEA)
T
TBI (Traumatic brain injury)
An IDEA disability category for an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment (or both) that adversely affects educational performance. The category does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma, as defined in the regulations.
TEA (Texas Education Agency)
The state education agency for Texas. TEA issues special education guidance, monitors districts, and hosts official resources parents and schools should use alongside federal IDEA materials.
Related: tea.texas.gov · Texas hub
Transition (Secondary transition)
Planning and services that help students with disabilities move from school to postsecondary education, employment, and independent living. IDEA sets requirements for postsecondary goals and transition services; states set the age when formal transition planning must begin. Confirm your state's rule.
Related: Transition planning overview
Transportation
Travel to and from school and between schools, travel in and around school buildings, and specialized equipment when required, listed under IDEA related services. The IEP team decides whether transportation is needed for the student to access special education.
Related: Related services
V
VI (Visual impairment, including blindness; IDEA category)
An IDEA disability category for impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness as defined in the federal regulations.
Related: Deaf-blindness
Reminder: these definitions are general educational information, not legal advice. For binding text, use official sources such as IDEA, OSERS, and TEA Special Education.