Frequently Used Terms

Below are some of the many acronyms used in special education.  You might recognize these from your or your child’s IEP, or other correspondence you have received from the district.  

  • 504: The 504 Plan is a plan developed to ensure that a child who has a disability identified under the law and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives accommodations that will ensure their academic success and access to the learning environment.
  • Accommodations: Changes in how a student learns or is tested without altering the curriculum (e.g., extended time, preferential seating).
  • ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act – federal law that, among other functions, guides service delivery in post-secondary educational settings (e.g., college, technical school, etc.) 
  • Annual Review: A yearly meeting to update the IEP based on the student’s progress and needs.
  • Assistive Technology: Assistive technology (AT) is any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of persons with disabilities.
  • BIP: Behavior Intervention Plan – designed to help students decrease specific undesired behaviors.
  • CBI: Community Based Instruction – teaches students with special needs skills in real-world settings. It helps them learn by practicing in places like stores or parks.
  • CST: Child Study Team – school personnel responsible for identifying students with special needs & ensuring appropriate delivery of special services.  In NJ, CSTs generally consist of social workers, learning disability teacher-consultants (LDTCs), and school psychologists; these positions all require at least a Master’s degree.
  • Eligibility Categories: Disability classifications such as Autism, Specific Learning Disability, Emotional Regulation Impairment, and Speech/Language Impairment under IDEA.
  • FAPE: Free and Appropriate Public Education – what every student is guaranteed under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.  As with LRE, “appropriate” is different for every student based on their unique strengths and needs.
  • FBA: Functional Behavior Assessment – helps determine root causes of specific problem behaviors in students, as well as develop interventions to address them.
  • HI: Home Instruction – a temporary program in which teachers deliver educational programming to students at home, usually due to severe illness or medical need.  HI takes place for a specified period of time, and always under the idea that the student will be returning to school as soon as s/he is able.
  • ICR: In-Class Resource– program in which a special education teacher assists or co-teaches with a general education teacher in a general education class (e.g., English, math, etc.)
  • IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act – federal law that determines how special education services are delivered to people from birth to age 21 in the US
  • IEP: Individualized Education Plan – a plan to help students with disabilities succeed in school.  Among other functions, the IEP dictates program placement, course selection, student goals & objectives, transition planning, and accommodations and modifications.
  • Inclusion: supporting students with disabilities through individual learning goals, accommodations, and modifications so that they are able to access the general education curriculum alongside their non-disabled peers.
  • Initial Evaluation: A comprehensive assessment to determine if a student qualifies for special education services.
  • LD: Learning Disability – disorder in which people have difficulty learning in a typical manner (can also stand for Learning Disabled, Learning Disorder, or Learning Difficulty). 
  • LDT-C: Learning Disability Teacher-Consultant – Member of the CST (see above) responsible for educational evaluations as well as case management.
  • LLD: Learning & Language Disabled – A self-contained program designed to provide academic and social support in core subjects using a modified curriculum guide and specialized instructional strategies with an emphasis on language-based instruction. The program delivers intensive interventions to support expressive and receptive language development, as well as written language comprehension, in alignment with state curriculum standards.
  • LRE: Least Restrictive Environment – federal & state laws mandate that students in special education must have the opportunity to be educated with their non-disabled peers to the greatest extent possible.  As with FAPE, “least restrictive” is different for every student based on their unique strengths and needs. 
  • Modifications: Changes in what a student is expected to learn (e.g., reduced assignments, alternate materials).
  • NJAC: New Jersey Administrative Code – usually seen as “NJAC 6a:14”; refers to the chapter & subchapters of NJ law that govern special education service delivery in this state
  • OHI: Other Health Impaired –  disability characterized by having limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including a heightened alertness with respect to the educational environment, due to chronic or acute health problems.  A medical assessment documenting the health problem is required.
  • OOD: Out-of-District – program in which a student’s educational program is delivered outside of Warren Township School. 
  • POR: Pull out resource – program that offers individual and small group instruction to students with disabilities outside of the general education classroom.
  • Reevaluation (Triennial): An updated evaluation conducted at least every three years to determine continued eligibility and service needs.
  • Related Services: Supportive services such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, counseling, or physical therapy that help a student benefit from special education.
  • SLD: Specific Learning Disability – means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions, such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. 
  • Supplementary Aids and Services: aids, services, and other supports that are provided in regular education classes, other education-related settings, and in extracurricular and nonacademic settings, to enable children with disabilities to be educated with nondisabled children to the maximum extent appropriate