Teacher Cadet – Special Education: Policies, Procedures, and Laws

A federal law that prohibits discrimination against otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities. This is not an education law, but a civil-rights law. These students are not part of the special education program. They are in regular education classes.

This assures that a student with a disability will be placed in an education program to the full extent that can be accommodated in the regular education program. Removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature of severity of the disability of a child is such that education in regular classes cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

This is a meeting to determine if a student's disability is associated with his misbehavior.

This is the plan for accommodating a student's disability.

This act governs special education programs and practices. This emphasizes student involvement in general curriculum, involvement of the regular education teacher, special factors to be considered, a statement of transition services needs at age 14, report on student progress, and parent involvement in placement decisions.

This is required of all special education and 504 students who have misbehaviors that may cause a student to be suspended or expelled.

This must be filled out before a BIP is written. Teachers or other school personnel observed the student and determine reasons for the child's behaviors.

One of the six principles of law that states students are entitled to free appropriate public education, regardless of their special needs.

1. free appropriate public education 2. appropriate evaluation 3. individualized education program 4. least restrictive environment 5. parent and student participation in decision making 6. procedural due process

A child aged 3, 4, or 5 whose developmental progress is delayed to the extent that a program of special education is required to ensure his adequate preparation for school-age experiences.

Mental retardation is defined as significantly sub-average IQ with deficits in adaptive behavior that adversely affects a student's educational performance. (delayed development, repeated practice, poor social skills, health problems)

A disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, recall information, do abstract thinking, or perform mathematical calculations. (misspellings, handwriting disorders, reading problems, language-based disorders, thinking disorders)

An emotional disturbance defined as a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects the student's educational performance: inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors; inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships; inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances; a general pervasive mood of immaturity, negativity, unhappiness, anxiousness, frustration, or depression; tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.

A hearing disability, whether permanent or fluctuating, that may adversely affect a student's educational performance, but is not included under the definition of deafness.

An impairment (including blindness) in vision that, even with correction, may adversely affect a student educational performance.

Concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational problems that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for students with deafness or students with blindness.

A severe physical disability that may adversely affect a student's educational performance. The disability limits normal functioning of bones, muscles, or joints due to congenital anomaly, impairments caused by disease, accidents, or birth defects.

Limited strength, vitality or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli. This may result in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, due to chronic or acute health problems that adversely affect educational performance. (asthma, diabetes, seizures, leukemia, AIDS)

An acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, which may adversely affect a student's educational performance.

A developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction. (need for visual representations instead of verbal directions, giftedness)

A communication disorder such as stuttering, impaired articulation, language impairment or a voice impairment that may adversely affect a student's educational performance.

Extreme inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity.

An exceptionality, not disability. Different indicative measures may be based on tests, academic achievement, creative thinking, and parent and teacher recommendations.