Advocacy is hard, especially for parents. There is so many terms that are so technical and specialists use them casually, not realizing they often leave the family behind. Here are terms to watch out for:
SST
Student Study Team
Most schools will hold an SST when a student is not keeping up with their peers.
RTI
Response to Intervention
Most schools will start with this to see if the student gets more intensive instruction in the area they are struggling with to see if they will catch up to their peers.
504 Plan
A written document that states what accommodations the student needs to be successful in the classroom as a result of their disability.
IEP
Individual Education Plan
This is a plan set-up to create support services for a student.
IFSP
Individual Family Support Plan
Similar to an IEP, but for families who have children with disabilities under 3 years of age.
Annual
The Special Education team (IEP/IFSP) must meet every year before the date they met the previous year. It is sometimes very difficult to coordinate meetings with various specialists, the administrator, and parents.
Goals
A part of the IEP and ISFP. They are the skills that the specialist work with the students on developing. Goals are met when the criteria is met. For example, 2 out of 3 times 3 times a week is what the goal will state and when the student is able to achieve that, the goal is considered met. Goals should be reachable, but still a stretch.
Objectives
What Specialists use to determine if the child has met the goal. Only seen in IFSP’s at this time.
Addendum
This refers to any changes that need to be made to and IEP or IFSP after the IEP has been approved.
Parent’s Rights
These should be provided at every meeting. They are the rights parents have navigating special education. It is dry reading, but it is important to read to ensure that you can advocate effectively for your child.
IEP or IFSP Notes
These are taken at the meetings about what is talked about. Ask to have them reread to you at the end of the meeting so you are on the same page or you can add things if you feel you need to. Make sure they explain any terminology you don’t understand because teachers often use shorthand when they take the notes.
Service Times
This is the amount of time specialists will spend with the student to help them achieve their goals. Ask the specialists to track their time with the child to ensure the time is being met.
Direct Service
In the team meeting, it is determined through recommendation and agreement, how much time the specialist will spend with the student directly.
Consult
This is related to how much time the specialist will spend supporting the staff and parents on helping make sure students achieve their goals and/or are getting their accommodations as decided by the specialist and the team.
IEP or IFSP Team Members
All meetings must include the parents, the different specialists that have worked with the student, a general education teacher (preferably the actual teacher that has the student), and a school administrator (someone who can speak for the school and what can be provided (typically a principal, a supervising special ed specialist, or other admin. Sometimes it is a school psychologist))). The IEP and IFSP are not considered complete until all individuals have signed off on it.
Signature Page
This is not approving the IEP or IFSP. This is only to acknowledge that you have been a part of the meeting and participated.
15 days
District must develop, within 15 days of referral for assessment, unless a parent or guardian agrees in writing to an extension. Parents have 15 days from the receipt of the proposed assessment plan to arrive at a decision.
30 days
The meeting to develop an IEP once it is determined the child needs special education and related services must take place within 30 days.
60 days
Specialists have 60 days to complete a full assessment of the student. This consists of a variety of things. School psychologists are almost always involved. If the child seems to be struggling with their vision, a vision specialist is brought in, if it is their hearing, then it is a hearing specialist, and so on. The assessors have to coordinate the appropriate order the assessments take place to make sure that their disabilities don’t trip up the current assessors’ results. For example, if vision is the difficulty, then the school psychologist needs to know how to adapt the written or visual materials to appropriately assess the student.
Triannual
Every three years a student is assessed completely to see if they have met their goals and need to stay on an IEP or move to other support services.
Quarterly or Trimester Reports
Every time a typical student in the school system gets a report card, then the specialists has to also give a report summarizing how well the student is doing on achieving their goals.
There is more terminology than I am not remembering at this time, but I do ask one thing. Please be patient with specialists. As you can see there is a lot they have to do and manage. Most likely they are doing it for several students plus teaching. However, there is no harm in checking in from time to time to see how things are going.
Knowing these terms can help parents and specialists better advocate for students with all disabilities. It saves time for everyone, as well, as the terms don’t have to be explained each time they are used. Specialists do not mean to talk over others, it becomes natural the longer they have taught.