Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)  

Special education and related services are free at no cost to parents and must meet the individual needs of each student. Education must be provided as close to residents’ area as possible. Curriculum is designed to provide educational benefit. The IDEA Act is a law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children.

Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) 

Each public agency must ensure that; to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities are educated with nondisabled peers. Special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of students only occur if the nature or the severity of the disability is such that the education in general education classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

Specific Learning Disability (SLD)

A disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using spoken or written language, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations. Specific learning disabilities include conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia and developmental aphasia. The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance or of environmental, cultural or economic disadvantage.

Emotional Disturbance (ED)

A mental health issue including; but not limited to, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder (sometimes called manic-depression), conduct disorders, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and psychotic disorders.

Other Health Impaired (OHI)

A disability category under IDEA that lists examples of health-related conditions that may qualify a child for special education. Examples include, attention-deficit /hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, heart conditions, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia and Tourette syndrome.

Autism Specific Learning Disability

A complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a “spectrum disorder” that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees.

IEP

A legal document that defines special education services between the school district and the parents. Educational benefit Student progress on IEP goals and/ or general education standards. Download the PDF