Deciphering Special Education Jargon: Key Terms You Need to Know
By: Becca Phillips, Advocate
Whether you are a parent, caregiver, or guardian navigating special education for the first time, or have been navigating the system for years, you’ve likely had experiences where you walk into a meeting feeling hopeful for the support your child will receive and leave feeling overwhelmed, confused, and even buried under the language used. When working with my client families and throughout many complimentary consultation calls I do, something I often hear is how dense and confusing the language surrounding special education can be. There’s countless acronyms, jargon, and legal terminology that can make the process that much more confusing for families.
During meetings you may nod along with the conversation, only to later reflect and realize you might not be entirely sure what was decided, what was discussed, and even what your rights are. As a prior special education teacher myself and current parent advocate, it’s important to remember that special education jargon and language is not meant to exclude you, but often it inevitably does. Understanding the language is a powerful tool to use as a parent because when you understand the language and terminology, you can ask questions, recognize red flags, and be a confident advocate for your child.
Special education meetings are legal meetings where decisions made during evaluations, eligibility, and any other IEP meeting will directly impact your child’s education, services, and support in the school setting. Understanding special education language gives you the knowledge to help level the playing field in these meetings so that there can never be an imbalance of power between families and the school team.
In today’s blog we are going to break down common and important special education terms and acronyms in plain language. While you will inevitably experience even more terms and acronyms, here are some of the most common you will hear and see:
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): IDEA is the federal law that governs special education and ensures that eligible students with disabilities receive special education and related services that are designed to meet their unique needs. It ensures all eligible children with disabilities have the right to a Free and Appropriate Education (FAPE) and have access to the same educational opportunities as their non-disabled peers. IDEA covers eligible children from birth through age 21.
Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE): FAPE is the legal right under IDEA that ensures public schools provide special education and related services and supports specific to a child’s unique needs that enables them to make educational progress at no cost to you. The key components of FAPE are that it is free, appropriate (tailored to your child's needs to ensure educational benefit), delivered by public agencies (schools), and the education must provide for an opportunity to make meaningful progress.
IEP (Individualized Education Program): An IEP is a legally binding, written plan for K-12 students with disabilities that outlines:
Your child’s current present levels of performance
Annual goals
Special education and related services
Accommodations
Modifications
Placement (Least Restrictive Environment)
An IEP is written and reviewed annually to ensure students with disabilities receive their FAPE and can make progress alongside peers. An IEP is developed by both the school team and the parents to be tailored to your child’s specific needs. It is a working document that can be edited through an IEP amendment when the team determines necessary and as mentioned, must be reviewed annually.
PWN (Prior Written Notice): A Prior Written Notice, or often referred to as a PWN, is a legal requirement under IDEA that school districts must provide to parents anytime they propose or refuse to initiate or change the identification, evaluation, placement, or provision of a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for a child with a disability. Providing a PWN applies whether the district agrees with the parent’s request or refuses it. The purpose of PWNs are to:
Inform you of what the school proposes or refuses to do or implement
Explain why the school is making that decision
Outline the evaluation data, reports, or other information the school used to make the decision
Let you know your rights to disagree with the decision.
Read more about PWNs in another blog post: https://www.eduamerica.org/blog/pwn
Eligibility: Before a child receives special education services through an IEP, they must be found eligible under one or more of IDEAs 13 eligibility categories, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Specific Learning Disability, Other Health Impairment, Multiple Disabilities. Eligibility is based on data after a comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation is completed and is not based on opinions. The team must together determine that not only does the child meet one or more of the eligibility categories but ALSO that the child’s disability negatively affects their educational performance and thus requires special education and related services to effectively make progress.
Initial Evaluation / Reevaluation: The first comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation is the “initial evaluation” that is conducted to determine if a child qualifies for special education. Parents must provide written, informed consent before the evaluation can occur. A school then has 60 days to conduct their initial evaluation and determine eligibility. If a child is determined eligible for special education, the child will go through a “reevaluation” every 3 years (unless the team agrees otherwise) to determine if they continue to be qualify and be eligible for support and services through special education, as well as determine what support and services remain appropriate.
Specially Designed Instruction (SDI): SDI refers to instruction that is tailored to your child’s unique needs. It is individualized, systematic teaching that will adapt the content, methods, and even delivery of curriculum and lessons to meet your child’s needs and disability. SDI is outlined in your child’s IEP and is not just differentiation; it is targeted instruction provided by qualified staff to address specific needs and goals.
Independent Education Evaluation (IEE): An IEE is a comprehensive assessment that is conducted by a qualified examiner that is not employed by the school district. Families can request an IEE at the public’s expense if you disagree with the school’s evaluation findings and/or need a second, objective opinion to determine appropriate services and support. An IEE will provide unbiased insight into your child’s strengths and challenges.
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE): LRE is not a physical place, but a core principle of IDEA that requires your child should be educated alongside their non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate, with the proper support and services. Your child’s LRE will be individualized with a focus on maximizing their access to the general education setting and curriculum. LRE ranges from general education with aid and accommodations to more restrictive placements such as a specialized school or self contained classroom.
Progress Monitoring: For students on an IEP, the school team must track and report progress towards that student’s IEP goals. Progress monitoring is essential to appropriately monitoring a student's IEP to make the appropriate adjustments as needed based on growth. It is a frequent and systematic collection and analysis of performance data that also evaluates instructional effectiveness to aid in making data driven decisions to meet students needs. Progress monitoring is often completed using short, repeated assessments and data collection that looks at the rate of growth and learning.
Present Levels of Performance: Present Levels of Performance, or Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP), is a section of the IEP that describes the child’s current abilities, strengths, and needs of where they are currently performing academically, socially, behaviorally, and functionally. Strong, effectively written goals cannot be written without accurate and detailed present levels. The Present Levels of Performance will outline how the child’s disability affects their learning and is a starting point to making IEP decisions that ensure the right support and services are written into the IEP. It should include concrete data, test scores, observation notes, work samples, and teacher/parent input.
Procedural Safeguards: Procedural Safeguards are the legal rights under IDEA that protect students with disabilities and their parents. It ensures parents know their rights and have input in the special education process, including consent, evaluation, placement, access to records, dispute resolution options, general parent rights and participation. Procedural Safeguards ensure fairness and transparency that allows parents and schools to collaborate in order to ensure students with disabilities receive FAPE.
All of this to say: Special Education jargon can feel intimidating, but once you learn the language, it will allow you to be more confident, seek clarity, push you to ask questions to be informed, and allow you to make your voice heard. Remember that if you ever feel confused, overwhelmed, or stuck, advocacy starts with understanding your rights and the terminology.
Language is power in the special education system and can affect decisions regarding your child’s education. Advocacy is the most effective when parents understand terms and can clearly articulate what their child needs. When you understand special education language, you know to look for specific, measurable, and written commitments in the IEP that will reduce the risk of misunderstanding and prevent vague promises. You don’t have to navigate through this alone, so please reach out through a consultation below if I can help support you through this process.
