* NOTE: The following definitions have been compiled from a variety of sources. The contents of this dictionary do not necessarily represent definitions endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education.
advocate- someone who takes action to help someone else (as in "educational advocate"); also, to take action on someone's behalf.
appropriate- able to meet a need; suitable or fitting; in special education, it usually means the most normal setting possible.
assessment- a collecting and bringing together of information about a child's learning needs, which may include social, psychological, and educational evaluations used to determine assignment to special programs or services; a process using observation, testing, and test analysis to determine an individual's strengths and weaknesses to plan his or her educational services.
assessment team- a team of people from different areas of expertise who observe and test a child to find out his or her strengths and weaknesses.
at risk- a term used with children who have, or could have, problems with their development that may affect later learning.
Child Find- a service directed by each state's Department of Education for identifying and diagnosing unserved children with handicaps; while Child Find looks for all unserved children, it makes a special effort to identify children from birth to six years old.
cognitive- a term that describes the process people use for remembering, reasoning, understanding, and using judgment.
counseling- advice or help given by someone qualified to give such advice or help (often psychological counseling)
developmental- having to do with the steps or stages in growth and development before the age of 18
developmental history- the developmental progress of a child (ages birth to 18 years) in such skills as sitting, walking, or talking
developmental tests- standardized tests that measure a child's development as it compares to the development of all other children at that age
due process (procedure)- action that protects a person's rights; in special education, this applies to action taken to protect the educational rights of students with handicaps
early childhood specialist- someone who specializes in early childhood development, usually having a Master's degree or Ph.D in an area related to early childhood education and/or development
early intervention policies- see policy/policies
early intervention services or programs- programs or services designed to identify and treat a developmental problem as early as possible.
eligible- able to qualify
evaluating- analyzing a child's special learning needs
evaluation- (applies to school-aged children); a way of collecting information about a student's learning needs, strengths, and interests; the evaluation is part of the process of determining whether a student qualifies for special education programs and services
free, appropriate public education (often referred to as FAPE) - one of the key requirements of Public Law 94-142, which requires that an education program be provided for all school-aged children (regardless of handicap) without cost of families; the exact requirements of "appropriate" are not defined, but other references within the law imply the most "normal" setting available
handicap- the result of any physical or mental condition that affects or prevents one's ability to develop, achieve, and/or function in an educational setting at a normal rate
identification- the process of locating and identifying children needing special services
Individualized Education Program (IEP)- a written education plan for a school-aged child with handicaps developed by a team of professionals (teachers, therapists, etc.) and the child's parents; it is reviewed and updated yearly and describes how the child is presently doing, what the child's learning needs are, and what services the child will need; (For children ages 0-2 years, the IFSP is used)
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)- a written statement for an infant or toddler (ages birth to 2 years old) developed by a team of people who have worked with the child and the family; the IFSP must contain the child's level of development, strengths and needs, major goals or outcomes expected, services needed, date of the next evaluation, and the starting date of the present IFSP
lead agency- the agency (office) within a state or territory in charge of overseeing and co-ordinating early childhood programs and services
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)- an educational setting or program that provides a student with handicaps the chance to work and learn to the best of his or her ability; it also provides the student with as much contact as possible with children without handicaps, while meeting all of the child's learning needs and physical requirements.
occupational therapy- a therapy or treatment provided by an occupational therapist that helps an individual developmental or physical skills that will aid in daily living; it focuses on the use of hands and fingers; on co-ordination of movement; and on self-help skills, such as dressing, eating with a fork and spoon, etc.
parent training and information programs- programs that provide information to parents of children with special needs about acquiring services, working with schools and educators to ensure the most effective educational placement for their child, understanding the methods of testing and evaluating a child with special needs, making informed decisions about their child's special needs.
physical therapy- treatment of (physical) disabilities given by a trained physical therapist (under doctor's orders) that includes the use of massage, exercise, etc. to help the person improve the use of bones, muscles, joints, and nerves
placement- the classroom, program, and/or therapy that is selected for a student with special needs
policy/policies- rules and regulations; as related to early intervention and special education programs, the rules that a state or local school system has for providing services for and educating its students with special needs
private therapist- any professional (therapist, tutor, psychologist, etc.) not concerned with the public school system or with a public agency
program(s)- in special education, a service, placement, and/or therapy designed to help a child with special needs
psycho-social (development)- the psychological development of a person in relation to his or her social environment
psychologist- a specialist in the field of psychology, usually having a Master's degree or Ph.D. in psychology
public agency- an agency, office, or organization that is supported by public funds and serves the community at large
Public Law (P.L.) 94-142- a law passed in 1975 requiring that public schools provide a "free, appropriate public education" to school-aged children ages 3-21 (exact ages depend on your state's mandate), regardless of handicapping condition; (also called IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act--formally EHA)
related services- transportation and developmental, corrective, and other support services that a child with handicaps requires in order to benefit from education; examples of related services include: speech pathology and audiology, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, counseling services, interpreters for the hearing impaired, and medical services for diagnostic and evaluation process.
services/ service delivery- the services (therapies, instruction, treatment) given to a child with special needs
special education coordinator- the person in charge of special education programs at the school, district, or state level
special education program/services- programs, services, or specially designed instruction (offered at no cost to families) for children over 3 years old with special needs who are found eligible for such services; these include special learning methods or materials in the regular classroom, and special classes and programs if the learning or physical problems are serious
special needs- (as in "special needs" child- a term to describe a child who has handicaps or is at risk for developing handicaps who requires special services or treatment in order to progress
speech/language therapy- a planned program to improve and correct and/or language or communication problems in people who are not thought to be able to improve without such help
transition- a time in a person's life when he moves form one educational program to another