United States · Reference

US special education glossary

Plain-English explanations of common federal special education and disability-rights terms.

United States federal terminology · 30 terms · Last reviewed 12 September 2026

Federal baseline.

States can use additional terms and may add procedures or protections. Check your state education agency for state-specific definitions and rules.

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ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act): A federal civil-rights law prohibiting disability discrimination by public entities and in other covered settings. Title II applies to public schools as public entities.
Accommodations / reasonable modifications: Changes to policies, practices, procedures, presentation or access that help a student with a disability participate. Under Section 504, OCR does not require public schools to distinguish the labels “accommodation” and “reasonable modification.”
Annual goals: Measurable goals in an IEP designed to address disability-related needs and support progress in the general education curriculum and other educational needs.
Assistive technology: Devices and services considered under IDEA when needed to increase, maintain or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability.

Child Find: IDEA duty requiring states and public agencies to identify, locate and evaluate children with disabilities who may need special education and related services.
Consent: Informed parental agreement required in specified IDEA situations, including before an initial evaluation and before the initial provision of special education and related services.

Due process complaint: A formal IDEA procedure used to resolve certain disputes concerning identification, evaluation, educational placement or FAPE.

Eligibility: The legal determination that a child meets the requirements of the relevant law. Under IDEA, the child must meet IDEA disability criteria and need special education and related services.
Evaluation: A process using multiple tools and sources to determine disability, eligibility and educational needs. IDEA prohibits using a single measure as the sole criterion.

FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education): A core right under IDEA and Section 504. The statutes use different legal standards, but both require qualifying students to receive appropriate public education without disability-related charges to the family.

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act): The federal special education law governing Part B services for eligible children and youth, including evaluations, IEPs, procedural safeguards and LRE requirements.
IEE (Independent Educational Evaluation): An evaluation conducted by a qualified examiner who is not employed by the public agency responsible for the child’s education. IDEA provides specific rights regarding IEEs.
IEP (Individualized Education Program): The written special education program for a child eligible under IDEA. It includes present levels, measurable goals, services, supports and other required information.
IEP Team: The group responsible for developing and reviewing the IEP. It includes the parent and specified school members, with others added when appropriate.

LEA (Local Educational Agency): Usually the local school district or other public authority legally responsible for education under IDEA.
LRE (Least Restrictive Environment): IDEA principle requiring education with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate, with removal from regular education only when education there cannot be achieved satisfactorily with supplementary aids and services.

Manifestation determination: An IDEA discipline process used in certain disciplinary changes of placement to determine whether conduct was caused by, or had a direct and substantial relationship to, the disability or resulted from failure to implement the IEP.
Mediation: A voluntary IDEA dispute-resolution process conducted by a qualified and impartial mediator. It cannot be used to deny or delay due-process rights.

OCR (Office for Civil Rights): The U.S. Department of Education office that enforces Section 504 and other federal civil-rights laws in education.
OSEP (Office of Special Education Programs): The U.S. Department of Education office responsible for administering IDEA programs and supporting implementation of IDEA.

Parent participation: IDEA right requiring parents to have an opportunity to participate in meetings concerning identification, evaluation, educational placement and FAPE.
Prior Written Notice (PWN): IDEA notice a public agency must provide when it proposes or refuses to initiate or change identification, evaluation, educational placement or the provision of FAPE.
Procedural safeguards: IDEA protections for parents and children, including notice, consent, access to records, IEE rights and dispute-resolution procedures.

Reevaluation: A new review/evaluation process under IDEA used to determine continuing eligibility and educational needs. It generally occurs at least every three years unless parent and agency agree it is unnecessary, and may occur sooner subject to the rules.
Related services: Supportive services required to assist an IDEA-eligible child to benefit from special education, such as certain transportation, speech-language, psychological, counseling or occupational therapy services when the legal requirements are met.

Section 504: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a federal civil-rights law prohibiting disability discrimination by recipients of federal financial assistance.
Special education: Under IDEA, specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability.
State complaint: An IDEA administrative complaint filed with the state educational agency alleging a public agency violated Part B requirements. Federal regulations set baseline content and timing rules.
Supplementary aids and services: Aids, services and other supports provided in regular education classes, other education-related settings and extracurricular/nonacademic settings to enable children with disabilities to be educated with nondisabled children to the maximum extent appropriate.

Transition services: A coordinated set of IDEA activities focused on improving academic and functional achievement to help a student move from school to post-school activities. Federal IEP transition requirements begin no later than the first IEP in effect when the student turns 16, unless the state requires an earlier age.