Special Education Language - 10 Acronyms You Should KnowSpecial Education Language - 10 Acronyms You Should Know

The Special Education system in Ontario has a language of its own. If you are the parent of a child who has been recently identified as exceptional by the school board, you can get lost in the language during your first school meetings. There are many acronyms that are used by school administrators and school staff and most often they don't think about the fact that parents may not understand their "language". So it's up to the parents to become knowledgeable about the language of special education. In this article, I am going to explain the meanings of ten of the most important acronyms in special education.

IEP - Individual Education Plan.

The IEP is a document that lists the strengths and needs, and the programs, services, accommodations and supports that are required by a particular student. It lists the annual goals in each alternative or modified subject area, as well as the learning expectations for each term, which are determined by the student's strengths and needs. A student does not have to be formally identified as an exceptional student to receive an IEP. But if the student is formally identified by an IPRC, it is a requirement of the Regulation 181/98 of the Education Act that they receive an IEP.

IPRC - Identification, Placement and Review Committee.

The IPRC is composed of at least three persons, one of whom must be a principal or supervisory officer of the school board. At annual meetings, where the parents are invited to attend, the committee decides whether or not the student should be identified as exceptional and if so, which category of exceptionality. They also decide on an appropriate placement for the student. The parents can either agree to the decisions, or appeal the decisions.

OEN - Ontario Education Number

Parents will notice the OEN on school documents such as the report card. A unique OEN is assigned to every student across the province by the Ministry of Education. The same number will follow the student through his or her elementary and secondary education and will be indicated on all of his or her school records.

OSR - Ontario Student Record

The OSR is a record of a student's educational progress through school. The contents are to be used by school staff for the purpose of "improvement of instruction" of the student, according to the Education Act. Parents are to be told about the purpose of the OSR and its contents. They must be allowed to have access to all of the information contained in the OSR.

EQAO - Education Quality and Accountability Office

EQAO is an arm's-length agency that provides information about student achievement in Ontario, based on periodic assessments. This is basically to see how the teachers, the school boards, and the educational system in general are performing. When students are in grade 3 and again in grade 6 they are required to take reading, writing, and math tests administered by the EQAO. They are also required to take a math test in grade 9. However, the principal is authorized to exempt students from taking any or all of the tests if they are unable to participate for reasons such as a developmental disability.

SERT- Special Education Resource Teacher

There is usually one in every school. As the name implies this teacher is a resource for regular classroom teachers. He or she consults with classroom teachers regarding students who have IEPs and are placed in the regular class. In fact the SERT is usually the lead person in charge of developing the IEP for these students. Sometimes small groups of students are withdrawn from the regular class to a resource room for more intensive instruction in math and language. This class is run by the SERT.

EA - Educational Assistant

EAs are assigned to classrooms, either regular class or small placement, to support students as part of a multidisciplinary team. They also help teachers with non-instructional tasks. In some school boards, EAs may have the same duties as described below for SNAs.

SNA - Special Needs Assistant

The SNA supports students with special educational needs, usually in a special education classroom, under the supervision of a special education teacher. In addition to helping with their learning needs, duties may include assisting with the students' safety and physical needs, including hygiene and feeding, as well as assisting with therapy sessions.

ABA - Applied Behaviour Analysis

ABA methods are best known for treating people with autism and other developmental disabilities.ABA methods are based on scientific principles of learning and behaviour to build useful repertoires of behaviour and reduce problematic ones. The undesired behaviour(s) are clearly defined and recorded, and the antecedents and reinforcers of the undesired behaviour(s) are analysed. Individualized programs are developed based on this information. The teacher must collect and analyze the data on an ongoing basis in order to measure the student's progress in each of the program areas. The program must be altered as necessary to maintain or increase a student's success.

TEACCH - Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication related handicapped Children.

Intervention strategies include clear and explicit expectations, physical and visual structure, schedules, work systems and task organization. The goal is to allow children with autism to develop skills so that they can be independent of direct adult prompting.

These ten acronyms are just the tip of the iceberg. Take some time to learn some of the "language" of Special Education and you will be a better advocate for your son or daughter with special needs.

Karen Robinson at AFASE at school http://www.afase.com provides special education advocacy training and consulting services to parents and guardians whose children are challenged by autism and other developmental disabilities.

I develop my clients into informed, proactive advocates for their children's educational needs. They are empowered by current, customized information that enables them to articulate their children's needs to school staff and school board administrators in a way that is both assertive and collaborative.

Browse through my website to learn more and sign up to receive free advocacy tips and news. http://www.afase.com

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Autism Symptoms - Special Interests and Hyperlexia

There are many different kinds of autism symptoms. Some are more severe than others. Some are less understood than others. Some of the more unique autism symptoms have to do with intellectual quirks, such as hyperlexia and special interests.

Many kids with autism tend to be quite smart. Autistic children with high IQs may be classified as having Asperger's syndrome (a form of high functioning autism). As we know, autism is a spectrum disorder, so there will be kids who have autism and have extremely different abilities and backgrounds and each can exhibit different autism symptoms.

Hyperlexia - a Unique Symptom of Autism

Not everyone will have the autism symptoms described in this article. But many will. Many kids with autism have something called hyperlexia. It means that they can recognize letters and words, and read, by a very early age, often by 2.

Kids who have hyperlexia don't understand what they are reading, but they love reading. They read everything they can get their hands on. They are the type of kids that will read every sign, every label, and every package because of their love of language.

Comprehension is Often a Problem with Hyperlexia

The problem with hyperlexia is that while it looks pretty neat on the outside to have a 2 or 3 year old reading books, it becomes a problem later on when they struggle with the comprehension of what they are reading. This unique ability to read above age level but not comprehend what is being read is a classic autism symptom.

A young child with autism may "read" a book, but they can't break it down into smaller parts or understand the parts of language or rules of grammar that make up it. They can echo lines from the books they read, often long complicated sentences (also called "echolia"), but forming their own original sentences is often much harder.

The autism symptom, Hyperlexia, in many ways is like skipping the basic rules of language to go to the more advanced ones - but without ever mastering the basic ones that you will need for all future lessons.

Special Interests are a Common Autism Symptom

Most kids with autism also have special interests. There are certain subjects that they are fascinated with and will remember every obscure detail about. It might be dinosaurs, fire trucks of World War II - and your child's mind will be a like a sponge for every piece of information out there about this topic.

The autistic child often has a great memory for details. Remembering numbers and dates come easily to them. This amazing ability to remember obscure details is a common symptom of autism. Because of this, some will refer to those who exhibit this autism symptom as "walking encyclopedias."

Kids with autism will often get very absorbed in what they are doing, especially when it pertains to their special interests. They are hard to interrupt and may even seem to lose track of the world around them.

These Autism Symptoms May Help with Future Employment

While these autism symptoms have the unfortunate effect of isolating them from their peers when they are younger, when they are older these traits can be helpful. In the work world, the knowledge, dedication and loyalty people with autism show can be a boon in certain fields and under certain conditions. Special interests, hyperlexia and other intellectual quirks are just some of the many autism symptoms that you may find in your child.

Once we understand exactly which autism symptoms a child or adult with autism exhibits, we can devise treatments and training to help them cope with the world around them.
Hopefully treatments can make life a little easier especially for those with autism and the people who love them. And for additional tips and suggestions that can help your loved one live a fulfilling and happy life visit the AmericanAutismSociety.org. There you can sign up for their FREE newsletter with tips and info on autism.

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