Glossary
Academic Achievement:
A child's pre-academic or academic skills and progress.
Developmental Milestones:
Physical or behavioral signs of development or maturation of infants and children. Rolling over, crawling, walking, and talking are considered developmental milestones and provide important information regarding the child's development.
Domain Review:
A review of existing information provided by the parents, and evaluations or observations by teachers and related services providers to determine what, if any, additional information is needed to find if a child is eligible for special education and related services. The Domain Review is conducted by the IEP Team and other qualified professionals. It covers all areas related to the suspected disability, including, if appropriate, academic achievement, functional performance, cognitive functioning, communication status, health, hearing/vision, motor abilities, and social/emotional status.
Early Childhood (EC):
Most commonly thought of as the age range from 3-5 years. Classrooms or programs that serve children with or without disabilities might be called Early Childhood Programs.
Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE):
Special education and related services provided by the public school district for children 3-5 years of age that have been identified as having a disability.
Early Intervention providers:
Professionals enrolled in the Illinois Early Intervention system that provide services and support to families who have children ages birth to 3 with special needs. Individual providers can include physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, developmental therapists, social workers/counselors, nurses, dietitians and others.
Extended School Year (ESY) services:
Special education and related services that are provided to a child with a disability beyond the normal school year of the public agency. The services are provided in accordance with the child's IEP at no cost to the parents of the child.
Functional Performance:
Skills or activities that are not considered academic or related to a child's academic achievement. "Functional" is used in the context of routine activities of daily living.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA, 2004):
The authorizing federal legislation that mandates special education and related services for individuals with disabilities, birth through 21.
- Part B:
The section of IDEA '04 that focuses on the requirements for providing special education and related services for children and young adults, 3 through 21 years.
- Part C:
The section of IDEA '04 that focuses on the requirements for providing services and supports for children birth to 3 years, and their families.
Individualized Education Program (IEP):
A written statement for a child with a disability that is developed, reviewed and revised by an IEP Team during an IEP meeting.
Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team:
A group of individuals that is responsible for developing, reviewing or revising an IEP for a child with a disability. The IEP Team includes: the parents of the child; at least one regular education teacher; at least one special education teacher; the representative of the public school; an individual who can interpret the educational implications of evaluation results; and others who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child.
Identification of Needed Assessments Form:
The form that is used as part of the Domain Review process in reviewing information about a child in the areas of academic achievement, functional performance, cognitive functioning, communication status, health, hearing/vision, motor abilities, and social/emotional status.
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE):
The requirement that children with a disability shall be educated to the maximum extent possible with their typically developing peers.
Local Education Agency (LEA):
The public school district or other entity that is responsible for providing education to children with and without disabilities.
Measurable Annual Goals:
Written by the IEP Team to indicate what specific academic and functional skills a child will learn through special education and related services over a 12 month period.
Referral Packet:
The packet of information about a child that is sent from Child and Family Connections to the public school district or community preschool. The referral packet can only be sent with informed written consent from the child's parent or legal guardian.
