Glossary of Special Education Terms

By Jennifer Swift, Esq.

As parents navigate their child’s educational journey, they may occasionally be confronted with what seem like an alphabet soup of acronyms.

We understand the worlds of education and special education can be challenging, especially when it seems like officials are speaking a different language. To help, we’ve prepared a glossary of sorts to explain some of the most commonly used acronyms. Many of these terms are rooted in the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) but we’ve also included a few that are specific to New York.

  1. 1. IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The IDEA is a vital piece of legislation which ensures students with disabilities receive a FAPE (free appropriate public education). The IDEA protects students ages 3 to 21 whose disabilities which impact their ability to learn.

  2. 2. 504 Plan: Not an acronym, but still worth a mention. A 504 Plan refers to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and aims to provide students with disabilities equal access to education alongside their non-disabled peers.

  3. 3. ESY: Extended School Year. Certain students are eligible for an extended school year, also known as a 12-month school year. IEPs will feature a question as to whether the student qualifies for ESY. Most commonly, this is addressed at the student’s annual review.

  4. 4. IEP: Individualized Education Program. This is a plan developed by a committee consisting of parents and educators which specifies the special education services, accommodations and modifications a student requires. There are 13 categories of disability in an IEP.

  5. 5. IESP: Individualized Education Services Plan. Similar to an IEP, this document is specific to the “services” portion of an IEP. A parent may request an IESP if their child is attending a school outside their home district.

  6. 6. CSE: Committee on Special Education. This group comprised of District administrators, educators and staff who identify students eligible for IEPs and create the resulting programs. Parents are also integral members of their child’s CSE.

  7. 7. CPSE: Committee on Preschool Special Education. Similar to a CSE, this committee is focused on children ages 3 to 5.

  8. 8. BIP: Behavior Intervention Plan. A BIP is created for students experiencing behavioral challenges. The plan identifies strategies and interventions to address those struggles.

  9. 9. FBA: Functional Behavioral Assessment. This precedes the BIP. An FBA is the assessment and data collecting process used to identify the student’s behaviors and the reasons behind those behaviors.

  10. 10. LRE: Least Restrictive Environment. This mandate under the IDEA requires that students with disabilities are educated alongside their non-disabled peers to the greatest extent possible.

  11. 11. OHI: Other Health Impairment. OHI is one of the 13 categories of classification in an IEP. OHI is often a catch-all category for students with health-related disabilities that impact their ability to learn.

  12. 12. ED: Emotional Disability (formerly Emotional Disturbance). A category of disability for students with emotional or behavioral struggles which significantly affect their educational performance.

  13. 13. ID: Intellectual Disability: A category of disability for students with significant limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior, which impacts their educational performance.

  14. 14. LD: Learning Disability. A category of disability for students with disabilities impacting their ability to read, write, listen, speak, reason, or perform mathematical calculations.

  15. 15. FAPE: Free Appropriate Public Education. The legal requirement mandating Districts provide students with disabilities an education specific to their individual needs at no cost to the family.

  16. 16. IEE: Independent Educational Evaluation. This is an evaluation usually requested by parents which is conducted by a third-party. IEEs are most often requested after parents disagree with, or have concerns with the District testing.

  17. 17. ICT: Integrated Co-Teaching. A model of teaching which provides students with IEPs individualized instruction within a classroom that includes both general education and students with disabilities.

THIS ARTICLE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED LEGAL ADVICE.