An Educational Support Team or EST may exist prior to a special education evaluation, and it may involve a group of teachers coming together to outline strategies that will assist a child who is struggling. The EST provides an opportunity for the teaching team to establish baseline data before determing whether or not a more specific intervention is necessary. 

An EST plan is less formal than an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 Plan, and child and parental rights to due process are not afforded under this type of plan. 

An Individualized Education Plan or IEP is the document that is written following an evaluation. In an effort to ensure that a child's identified needs can be met, the IEP is crafted by the team of teachers, parents/guardians, special educators, etc. after testing and once it is determined that the child meets certain special education criteria as defined by state and federal regulations. 

IEPs are more extensive than EST or 504 plans, and they include elements, such as: annual goals, the types of interventions that will be provided by whom, where, when and how frequently, accommodations, related services, and so on.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability. It applies to any entity that receives federal funding, including public schools. 

It is typical for 504 Plans to note the child's disability, any necessary accommodations to ensure access, and the impact that the disability has on learning.

Changes in general curriculum or instructions that do not substantially modify learning requirements or the education standards.

Accommodations determined by a team of educators will be included in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

Processes for obtaining information from tests or other sources that are administered by the state and local school districts. Assessment also refers to the procedures used in determining a child’s eligibility for special education.

ADHD is a characterized by developmentally inappropriate behavior, including poor attention skills, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity. A person whose behavior is more hyperactive-impulsive than it is inattentive or if the person has a combination of hyperactivity and inattentiveness, the person is often referred to as having ADHD. A doctor makes the determination of this diagnosis, often with input from parents and teachers.

One of 12 impairments listed in the state rules and regulations. Autism is a developmental disability that significantly affects a child’s social interaction and verbal and non-verbal communication abilities. It generally is evident before age 3 and adversely affects learning and educational performance.

Several disorders characterized by varying degrees of impairment in the areas of communication skills, social interactions and restricted, repetitive and/or stereotyped patterns of behavior (e.g., hand-flapping, rocking).

The case manager is the special education professional assigned to lead the implementation and coordination of a student’s IEP services and IEP meetings.

CAPD is often characterized by difficulty understanding speech or auditory instructions in the presence of normal hearing sensitivity. A child with this disorder has normal hearing, but cannot understand oral communication at the same level as other people his/her age.

Can define a delay in fundamental skills, or when a child demonstrates at least a 40% delay in one or more of the fundamental skills: receptive and/or expressive language, adaptive behavior or social skills, gross or fine motor skills, or cognitive skills prior to age six.

Defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as a child in need of special education and related services due to the presence of one or more disabilities identified through a special education evaluation. The Vermont Special Education Rules and Regulations contains 12 disability categories under which a child may qualify for special education.

EBD is one of 12 impairments listed in the state rules and regulations. A student with an EBD demonstrates social emotional or behavioral functioning that so departs from generally accepted, age appropriate, ethnic or cultural norms that it adversely affects a child’s academic progress, social relationships, personal adjustment, classroom adjustment, self-care or vocational skills.

Special eduation and related services provided to children ages three to five.

Special education and related services provided to a child during the summer and/or beyond the normal school day and year that are based on the child’s Individual Education Program (IEP).

A student identified as having a hearing impairment will have a significant impairment in
hearing, with or without amplification, whether permanent or chronically fluctuating, that
significantly adversely affects a child’s educational performance including academic
performance, speech perception and production, or language and communication skills. This includes deafness. HI is one of 12 impairments listed in the state rules and regulations.

Federal special education law that guarantees a free appropriate public education to children with disabilities who qualify for services.

ID is one of 12 impairments listed in the state rules and regulations. A student with an intellectual disability has significantly below average intellectual and adaptive
functioning that adversely affects his/her education performance.