Special education drowns parents in letters — IEP, FAPE, LRE, IEE, PWN. Here's every term that matters, in plain language, with a quick note on why it matters for your child. Search it, or just scroll.
A legally binding, written plan for a child who qualifies for special education. It spells out your child's goals, the services and hours they'll get, accommodations, and how progress is measured. The school must follow it.
A plan that gives a child accommodations (like extra time, preferential seating, or breaks) to access learning — but, unlike an IEP, it does not include specialized instruction or measurable goals. Lighter-touch.
The federal law that guarantees every eligible child with a disability a free, appropriate public education and gives you, the parent, specific rights in the process. It's the law every IEP is built on.
The core promise of IDEA: your child is entitled to an education designed for their needs, at no cost to you. "Appropriate" means reasonably calculated to make meaningful progress — not just minimal, not just "passing."
The rule that your child should be educated alongside non-disabled peers as much as is appropriate for them. Removing a child to a separate setting has to be justified by their needs — not by the school's convenience.
Your written rights as a parent under IDEA — the school must give you a copy at least once a year. It covers consent, evaluations, disagreeing, and how to challenge a decision.
Whenever the school proposes — or refuses — to do something (evaluate, change services, change placement), it must give you written notice explaining what and why, before it happens.
The school generally needs your written, informed permission before it first evaluates your child or first provides special-education services. You can also revoke consent.
The group that writes and reviews the IEP: you (a required, equal member), at least one general-ed teacher, a special-ed teacher, someone who can interpret evaluation results, and a school representative who can commit resources.
The section of the IEP that honestly describes where your child is right now — academically, socially, behaviorally. Every goal should flow from these baselines.
Specific, measurable targets the team expects your child to reach in a year — in academics, communication, behavior, or life skills. Each should say what, how much, and how it's measured.
Accommodations change how a child learns or is tested (extra time, audiobooks, a quiet room) — same material. Modifications change what a child is expected to learn (fewer problems, simpler material).
A school district's legal duty to actively identify, locate, and evaluate any child who may have a disability and need services — even kids who are passing, homeschooled, or in private school.
The testing process used to decide if your child qualifies for services and what they need. It should cover all areas of suspected disability — academics, speech, OT, behavior, etc.
The determination of whether your child has a qualifying disability under one of IDEA's categories and needs special education because of it. Both parts must be true.
An evaluation done by a qualified professional outside the school system. If you disagree with the school's evaluation, you have the right to request one — often at public expense.
A formal review of your child's eligibility and needs, generally at least every three years (the "triennial") — or sooner if you or the school request it.
A qualifying category covering disorders in understanding or using language — including dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia — that affect reading, writing, or math.
A qualifying category often used for ADHD and chronic health conditions that limit a child's alertness, energy, or focus in ways that affect school.
A child who is both gifted and has a disability (e.g., highly verbal but dyslexic). Their strengths can mask their struggles — and vice versa.
The support services a child needs to benefit from their education — speech therapy, OT, PT, counseling, transportation, a 1:1 aide, and more. They go in the IEP with specific hours.
The specialist who works on a child's communication — articulation, language, social communication, and sometimes feeding or AAC.
Support for the skills of daily life and learning — fine motor (handwriting, scissors), sensory regulation, self-care, and attention to task.
Support for gross-motor skills and mobility — strength, balance, coordination, and safely moving through the school environment.
A structured, data-driven therapy often used with autistic children to build skills and address behaviors. Widely used and also widely debated — approaches vary a lot by provider.
Tools and devices that give a nonverbal or minimally-verbal child a way to communicate — from picture boards to speech-generating apps on a tablet.
Any tool that helps a child access learning — text-to-speech, audiobooks, a laptop for a child who can't write by hand, a calculator, an AAC device. Can be written into the IEP.
A trained adult who supports a student in class — sometimes shared, sometimes dedicated to one child ("1:1"). Their role and hours can be specified in the IEP.
Educating a child with disabilities in the general-education classroom, with supports brought to them ("push-in"). Tied closely to LRE.
A resource room is where a child goes for part of the day for specialized help ("pull-out"). A self-contained class is a smaller, full-time specialized setting. Different points on the LRE spectrum.
Special-education services provided beyond the normal school year (often summer) for children who would otherwise lose critical skills during long breaks.
When a public school can't provide an appropriate program, the district may be required to place — and fund — your child at a specialized private school.
Starting by age 16 (earlier in some states), the part of the IEP that plans for life after high school — work, college, independent living — with concrete goals and services.
A study of why a behavior is happening — what triggers it and what it accomplishes for the child — so the team can respond to the cause, not just the symptom.
A written plan, built from an FBA, that lays out how the team will teach replacement skills and respond to behavior consistently and supportively.
A required meeting when a student with an IEP faces a long suspension or expulsion, to decide whether the behavior was caused by — a "manifestation" of — their disability.
During a formal dispute, your child generally stays in their current placement and keeps current services until the disagreement is resolved.
A formal legal complaint and hearing — the strongest way to challenge a school's decision about evaluation, eligibility, placement, or FAPE. Often where attorneys come in.
A voluntary, confidential meeting with a neutral third party to resolve a disagreement without a hearing. Free, lower-stakes, and often faster than due process.
A meeting the district must offer after you file for due process, to try to settle the issue before it reaches a hearing.
A written complaint to your state education agency alleging the district violated IDEA. The state investigates and can order the district to fix it — no lawyer required.
Make-up services a child is owed when the school failed to provide what the IEP required (e.g., missed therapy, denied FAPE). A remedy for past harm.
When a public school fails to offer an appropriate program and you place your child privately, you may be able to recover the tuition — if you follow the right steps and notice rules first.
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