Special Education Terms to Know
Special education terminology helps create a common understanding among parents, educators, and professionals working to support students with disabilities. These terms are often used in educational plans, meetings, and legal documents to describe services, supports, and processes. Becoming familiar with key concepts such as Individualized Education Program (IEP), Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), and Related Services can help individuals more confidently participate in discussions and decisions related to special education. This section provides clear definitions to support effective communication and collaboration.
Top Terms to Keep in Mind
IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. A federal education law for students who fall within one of 13 qualifying categories of disabilities and who need specialized support to benefit from education. Specialized support and services are outlined in a student’s IEP. Title 20, United States Code, 1400, et seq.
Child with a Disability: A child evaluated and determined as having an intellectual disability, a hearing impairment (including deafness), a speech or language impairment, a visual impairment (including blindness), as serous emotional disturbance, an orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, an other health impairment, a specific learning disability, deaf-blindness, or multiple disabilities, and who, by reason of such disability, requires special education and related services in order to access their educational program.
FAPE: Free and Appropriate Public Education. Student with disabilities must receive a public education that allows them to make progress and is free to the student and their families. Title 34, Code of Federal Regulations 300.17
LRE: Least Restrictive Environment. A student with disabilities shall be educated alongside nondisabled peers to the maximum extent possible for that individual student. Title 34, Code of Federal Regulations 300.114
504 Plan: Section 504 is a law that requires schools to give students with disabilities equal access to the education afforded to all students. A 504 Plan is a plan that describes services, accommodations and modifications that schools will provide to a student to ensure that equal access.
IEP: Individualized Education Program. A plan for students who are eligible for special education. The plan describes a student’s current educational performance, creates goals for development, and services that will be provided to help support the student. At minimum, the plan must be updated once per year. Title 34, Code of Federal Regulations 300.320
Supplementary Aids & Services: This area 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 their nondisabled children to the maximum extent appropriate. Title 34, Code of Federal Regulations 300.114 through 300.116.