Disabilities and Behaviors
This is a developmental disability generally evident before age three that significantly affects verbal and nonverbal communication, social interaction, and educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with this disorder include, engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences.
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?
This is a change that gives a child with a disability an alternate method of demonstrating knowledge. It can relate to classroom instruction or to district/state administered assessments that measure achievement. It does not change the content of an assignment or alter what a test or quiz measures. It should be agreed upon by the educational team and listed in the child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP).
What is an accommodation?
This is a place, including the home and community settings, where a child would be if the child did not have a disability.
What is Natural Environment?
This protects the privacy and transfer of student education records.
What is FERPA (The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act)?
This is a national professional association for speech and language therapists and audiologists.
What is the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)?
This is a communication disorder characterized by difficulty understanding and/or producing language.
What is aphasia?
This is a component of the educational curriculum in which physical, recreational, and other therapists work with children who exhibit delays in motor development and perceptual motor skills. This is a "related service" that some children need in addition to, or in place of, physical education.
What is Adapted Physical Education (APE)?
This is a private school that is licensed by the State Board of Private Academic Schools or Pennsylvania Charter Schools. These schools are eligible to receive funds from school districts and/or the Commonwealth for the education of students with severe disabilities.
What is an Approved Private School (APS)?
This is a federal mandate that all children with disabilities must receive appropriate educational programs, tailored to their unique needs, from which they receive educational benefit at no cost to families.
What is FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education)?
This program conducts programs to prevent brain injury and to improve the quality of life for people who have experienced brain injury. "BrainSTEPS", which is a school reentry program, provides teams of professionals to assist those who provide educational support to students with brain injury.
What is the The Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania?
This s a neurological disorder in which individuals display developmentally-inappropriate behavior including poor attention skills and impulsiveness. These characteristics arise in early childhood, typically before age seven, and have duration of at least six months. Children may experience difficulty in the areas of social skills and self-esteem. They may be eligible for special education services under the other health impairment (OHI) disability category.
What is Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD)?
This is the degree of progress expected of children in academic areas. It is annually established by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
What is Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)?
This is an independent public school established and operated under a charter from the Department of Education. This schools deliver a significant portion of instruction to their students through the Internet or other electronic means. This type of school must be organized as a public, nonprofit corporation and may not be granted to any for-profit entity.
What is a Cyber Charter School?
This outlines the confidentiality and protection of medical records.
What is HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act)?
This organization within the Pennsylvania Department of Education is responsible for the education of students with disabilities from ages 3 through 21.
What is the Bureau of Special Education?
This is a disability in which a child’s intellectual and adaptive behavior is below average, which impacts upon the child’s education.
What is cognitive delay?
This refers to specialized services and supports designed to help families with children birth to age five who have developmental delays.
What is Early Intervention (EI)?
This is an independent public school established and operated under "a charter" from the local board of school directors. This school must be organized as a public, nonprofit corporation and may not be granted to any for-profit entity.
What is a Charter School?
This provides the legal authority for early intervention and special education services for children from birth to age 21. Part B outlines services for children ages three to 21. Part C outlines services for children from birth to age three.
What is IDEA (The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)?
This is the toll-free help line provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Bureau of Special Education to assist parents of children with disabilities who have questions concerning their children’s special education programs.
What is ConsultLine?
This is a rhythm disorder characterized by the repetition of a sound, word, or phrase. Stuttering is perhaps the most serious disorder.
What is dysfluency?
These students have intellectual abilities significantly above average.
What is Gifted and Talented?
These are public schools that provide career and technical education to secondary school students, youth out of school, and adults in a geographical area comprised of, and operated by, one or more school districts. CTCs offer courses that are directly related to the preparation of individuals for paid employment in such areas as carpentry, auto mechanics, child care, and cosmetology. Currently there are over 80 of these schools in Pennsylvania.
What is Career and Technical Education Centers (CTC)?
This is a written statement of a child’s current level of educational performance and of the child’s individualized plan of instruction, including the goals, specific services to be received, the staff members who will carry out the services, the standards and timelines for evaluating progress, and the amount and degree to which the child will participate with typically-developing peers (see Least Restrictive Environment). This document is developed by the child’s parents and the professionals who evaluated the child and/or who are providing the services. It is required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for all children who are in need of special education services.
What is an IEP (An Individualized Education Program)?
This is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or individuals who are gifted.
What is the Council for Exceptional Children?