504 PLAN - Section 504 Educational Plan
Accommodation plan that supports the many disabilities not covered under IDEA.

ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act
This is a federal law prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
The student with ADHD is one who seems to have average or better ability, health, vision, hearing, and intelligence, but is still unable to learn things as easily or quickly as most other students his age. The concern is due to a severe inability to stay on task or pay attention (distractibility) and/or inability to control behavioral impulses (hyperactivity). If the condition impacts the child’s educational progress, he or she may be eligible for a 504 plan or Special Education services.

APE - Adaptive Physical Education
Physical Education adapted to meet the unique physical needs and challenges of students with identified disabilities and medical conditions that prohibit their ability to fully benefit from a general physical education curriculum.

AT - Assistive Technology
A related service that provides a device or service that helps a student function in the educational setting. These services may include evaluating the student’s needs, providing a device and/or service to match student needs, and training for the student, family, and school personnel in using the selected device. An Assistive Technology device can be provided as special education services, related services or as supplementary aids and services to the general education program. An example of an Assistive Technology device would be a “Touch Talker.” This device displays an array of pictures which speaks words and phrases when touched, thus allowing a non-verbal student to communicate

AUT - Autism
Autism includes a spectrum of disorders, which may include PDD, Asperger Syndrome, Autism and Rett Syndrome. It is a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences. The term does not apply if a child’s educational performance is adversely affected primarily because the child has an emotional disturbance.

BIP - Behavior Intervention Plan
A comprehensive plan designed to target and change specific inappropriate behaviors that interfere with a student’s ability to benefit from his/her educational program or develop and maintain relationships.

CAPD - Central Auditory Processing Disorder
CAPD is an auditory processing disorder characterized by difficulty in attending to, discriminating, recognizing, and understanding what is heard, even though hearing and intelligence are normal. CAPD creates difficulty in developing speech and language skills. These children are often thought to have hearing problems. Treatment includes speech and language therapy, modifications in the environment, and computerized therapy.

CP - Cerebral Palsy
A general term for a group of permanently disabling symptoms caused by damage to the developing brain before, during, or after birth. People with cerebral palsy may have poor balance, difficulty in walking, movement, speech impairment, and/or cognitive limitations.

CSE - Case Study Evaluation
A CSE is method of collecting information about a student’s individual learning needs, strengths, and interests, in order to assess whether or not a child has a disability. The assessment is an process by which qualified professionals, together with families, through standardized tests and observation, look at all areas of a child’s development: motor, language, intellectual, academic achievement, social/emotional, and adaptive/self-help skills. An assessment may include giving individual tests, observing the student, looking at records, and talking with the student and/or his parents. Eligibility for special education services is determined at the completion of the evaluation process. An individualized education plan is developed as appropriate.

DD - Developmental Delay
A term used to describe infants and toddlers who need early intervention services because they: (1) are experiencing developmental delays, such that the child has not achieved skills and abilities which are expected to be mastered by children of the same age. Delays can be in any of the following areas: physical, social, emotional, intellectual, speech and language, and/or adaptive development (self-help skills), or (2) have a diagnosed physical or mental condition which has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay. Children may only be eligible for special education services under this criterion through the age of five years. (Caution: The term developmental delay may be used loosely and is occasionally used incorrectly, giving the false impression that the student will “catch-up.”)

ECE - Early Childhood Education
Educational programs and support services available to meet the needs of the young learner from three through five years of age. Students must be eligible to receive these supportive services which are to be delivered in the least restrictive manner. Students become eligible for Early Childhood through the Case Study Evaluation process.

ED - Emotional Disorder
A condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over an extended period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance:

ESL - English as a Second Language
Includes instructional support for children who come to school speaking another language.

ESY - Extended School Year
Special education and related services that are provided to a child with a disability beyond the typical school year, in accordance with the child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Students are eligible for ESY services when the educational team determines that the child’s educational skills will significantly regress over the summer months if no educational program is provided.

FAB - Functional Assessment of Behavior
A Functional Assessment of Behavior (FAB) is a behavioral assessment that looks at targeted behaviors from an environmental perspective. FAB is conducted when a particular student behavior is either dangerous or interferes with student learning. The FAB collects data on targeted student behaviors with a focus toward the antecedents, consequences that reinforce the behavior as well as possible functional alternatives. The FAB may lead to the development of a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). A student's IEP may be changed to reflect the addition of a BIP.

FAPE - Free Appropriate Public Education
Federal law mandates that students have the right to a free, appropriate public education, including special education and related services. The public school provides these services at the preschool, elementary, and secondary levels at no cost to parents. Students with visual and hearing impairments may receive services from birth. The programs and services must follow goals and objectives stated in the student’s IEP.

HI - Hearing Impairment
An impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance, but that is not included under the definition of deafness. (Definition of deafness: A hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.)IAA - Illinois Alternate Assessment
The Illinois Alternate Assessment is the state-developed portfolio assessment that must be used for any special education eligible student whose Individualized Education Program (IEP) indicated that she/he is unable to participate in the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT), even with accommodations

IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
This federal law, enacted in 1990 and reauthorized in 1997, amends and renames the Education of the Handicapped Act (EHA). The law ensures a free appropriate public education to students with one of thirteen disabilities. A portion of special education funding to schools is dependent upon compliance with this law and its subsequent amendments.

IEP - Individualized Education Plan
The IEP team, including parents, general educators and special educators, develops the individualized education plan when a student qualifies for Special Education Services. The IEP includes the student’s present level of school performance, educational goals and objectives for the student, and accommodations the student will receive. It documents the specific services the student needs, how where and how often services will be provided, and how progress will be measured. IEPs are reviewed annually with the IEP team.

ISAT - Illinois Standards Achievement Test
The Illinois Standards Achievement Test provides a view of student performance in relation to the state standards. Third, fifth and eighth grade students are administered reading, writing, and mathematics assessments. Fourth and seventh grade students are administered science and social study assessments. These assessments are written at the state level and are scored by the state. Individual student scores and school scores are returned to the district. Many students with IEPs receive accommodations for ISAT testing, which can include extended time or administration of the testing with a small group. Only students with significant learning difficulties may be exempt from taking the ISAT. The IEP team makes this decision.

ISBE - Illinois State Board of Education
ISBE is the State agency that oversees the implementation of public education, including special education, in the State of Illinois.

LBS - Learning Behavior Specialist
In District 39, teachers with special education certification are referred to as Learning Behavior Specialists. They are special education teachers charged with designing and implementing IEPs.

LD - Learning Disability
A disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, or do mathematics, including such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.

LRE - Least Restrictive Environment
The special educational setting or program that best meets the needs of the student with a disability. The intent is to provide as much access to the general education program as possible. The Least Restrictive Environment is determined by the student’s IEP team.

MD - Multiple Disabilities
Concomitant impairments (such as mental retardation-blindness, mental retardation-orthopedic impairment, etc.), the combination of disabilities which causes severe educational needs (does not include deaf-blindness).

MR - Mental Retardation
Significantly below average general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

OHI - Other Health Impairment
Limited strength, vitality or alertness, including a heightened sensitivity to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that: is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, and sickle cell anemia. Health problems need to adversely affect a child’s educational performance and need to be diagnosed by a medical professional.

OT - Occupational Therapy
Facilitates the development of self-maintenance tasks including feeding, eating, dressing, and hygiene. Areas of assessment and intervention also include motor performance (manipulation of school related materials and educational tasks), neuromusculoskeletal components (movement and postural control), sensory awareness and attending skills. Intervention is integrated within the student’s total educational experience and closely coordinated with other aspects of the student’s program.

PI - Physical Impairment
A severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child’s educational performance; includes impairments caused by congenital anomaly (e.g., clubfoot, absence of some member, etc.), impairments caused by disease (e.g., poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis), and impairments from other causes (e.g., cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures).

PT - Physical Therapy
Facilitates the development of functional movement skills including adapting equipment for mobility and positioning. Areas of assessment and intervention also include motor performance (safety and alternative positions), neuromusculoskeletal components (movement and postural control), architectural accessibility, utilization of appropriate assistive devices (wheelchairs, walkers, adapted seating and work spaces), transfers and transportation (school and community). Intervention is integrated with the student’s total educational experience and is closely coordinated with other aspects of the student’s program.

SLI - Speech and/or Language Impairment
A communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, language impairment, or a voice impairment that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

SLP - Speech and Language Pathologist
A specialist certified to design and implement special education programming for children with Speech and/or Language Impairments.

TBI - Traumatic Brain Injury
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 a child’s educational performance. The term applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition, abstract thinking, judgment, problem-solving, sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities, psychosocial behavior, physical functions, information processing, and speech. The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma.

VI - Visual Impairment
An impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance (includes both partial sight and blindness).