Basic Terms in SPED
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Disability - shall mean 1) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more psychological, physiological or anatomical function of an individual or activities of such individual; 2) a record of such an impairment; or 3) being regarded as having such an impairment.
Impairment - is any loss, diminution or aberration of psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure or function.
Handicap - refers to a disadvantage for a given individual, resulting from an impairment or a disability, that limits or prevents the function or activity, that is considered normal given the age and sex of the individual.
Developmental disability - Refers to a severe, chronic disability of a child five years of age or older that is:
1. attributable to a mental or physical impairment or a combination of mental and physical impairments;
2. manifested before the person attains age 22;
3. likely to continue indefinitely;
4. results in substantial functional limitations in three or more of the areas of major life activities such as self-care, language, learning, mobility, self-direction, capacity for independent living and economic self-sufficiency; and
5. reflects the person’s need for a combination and sequence of special care, treatment or other services or other services that are lifelong or of extended duration and are individually planned and coordinated.
Children-at-Risk - Refers to children who have the greater chances than other children to develop a disability.
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) - provides leadership and support for a comprehensive program of research related to the rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities. All efforts are aimed at improving the lives of individuals with disabilities from birth through adulthood.
Inclusion - Full inclusion refers to the inclusion of a student with special needs in an age appropriate regular classroom at the student's neighborhood school. The student moves with peers to subsequent grades. All related services are provided in the regular classroom through a collaborative approach, except where privacy is an issue. Curriculum may be district core curriculum as for the other students or modified core curriculum to provide physical assistance, adapted content and /or material, multi-level curriculum, curriculum overlapping (same activity, same goals) or substitute curriculum.
Mainstreaming - A term referring to the predefined period of time during which a special education student participates in general education activities, either academic or non academic (e.g., math, reading, lunch, recess, and art).
Integration - Integration refers to the inclusion and interaction of students with special needs in an age appropriate regular education program and/or classroom from which they are able to derive educational benefit in a variety of areas including social skills and interactions, communication and language skills, classroom skills, independent living/vocational skills, and academic skills. Integration is an on-going process related to the individual needs of students.
Assessment - Assessment, also known as evaluation, can be seen as a problem-solving process (Swanson & Watson, 1989) that involves many ways of collecting information about the student.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) - refers to the
Individualized Educational Program (IEP) - describes the educational program that has been designed to meet that child's unique needs. Each child who receives special education and related services must have an IEP. Each IEP must be designed for one student and must be a truly individualized document. The IEP creates an opportunity for teachers, parents, school administrators, related services personnel, and students (when age appropriate) to work together to improve educational results for children with disabilities. The IEP is the cornerstone of a quality education for each child with a disability.
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) - A concept expressed by the courts in the 1970's, mandating that each person with a disability should be educated or served in the most "normal" setting and atmosphere. This led to the concept and practice of mainstreaming.
Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) - an educational right of disabled children in the
Xero-Reject (ZR) - the principle that no student with a disability can be denied a free, appropriate public education (FAPE). This is both a civil right under the equal protection doctrine and good social policy, grounded in the individual and social utilitarianism of educating all students. Through the "zero reject," Congress required education agencies to provide all students, regardless of the nature or severity of their disabilities, with a free and appropriate public education. While the term "zero reject" is not found in IDEA's language, the concept is firmly embedded in the statute. Congress unequivocally declared that the purpose of IDEA is to assure that all children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) - (Public Law 107-110) that reauthorized a number of federal programs aiming to improve the performance of U.S. primary and secondary schools by increasing the standards of accountability for states, school districts, and schools, as well as providing parents more flexibility in choosing which schools their children will attend. Additionally, it promoted an increased focus on reading and re-authorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). The Act was passed in the House of Representatives on May 23, 2001, United States Senate on June 14, 2001 and signed into law on January 8, 2002.
Posted byDoc Junhel at 2:59 PM
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