Terms and Definitions Related to Special Education Services

Assessments includes procedures, techniques, and instrumentation, both formal and informal, used to assess the speech and language status of children and the implications of speech/language disorders in a school or educational setting.  The assessment includes the screening, evaluation, and interpretation of test results and referrals for further evaluation for treatment.

Educational Services include the development of speech and language goals and objectives and the delivery of speech and language services as determined by an Individual Education Program (IEP), Individual Family Service Program (IFSP), and/or Individual Transition Plan (ITP) developed by the educational team that directly result from the student's speech and language disability.  The goals and objectives are driven by the specific speech and language disorder needs of the student in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations.  Educational services include the use of information and strategies that measure student progress on goals, effectiveness of accommodations/modifications, and the need for any changes in speech and language support and services.  Consultation, collaboration, and speech/language academic support with teachers in the student's speech and language-based academic success is included.

Assessment of students in a comprehensive manner within the authorization of the teaching credential or added authorization using multiple sources of information and a variety of strategies that directly measure a student's performance to meet goals in areas of grade-level academic curriculum and/or functional goals designed to meet the Individualized Education Program (IEP), Individualized Family Service Program (IFSP), and/or Individualized Transition Plan (ITP) goals and objectives regarding eligibility and services that directly result from the student's disability according to state and federal accountability systems.  The assessment process may include both formal and informal assessments to evaluate students' educational instruction needs and strengths for the purpose of making accommodations, modifications, and instructional decisions.

Support includes participation in the IEP, IFSP, and/or ITP process including planning and implementation of the student's IEP, Individualized Family Service Program, and/or Individualized Transition Plan; providing consultative, collaborative, and coordinating instruction with students, parents, teachers, and other community and school personnel; planning, developing, and implementing instructional program plans relative and within the authorization of the credential or added authorization.  Special Education Support does not include providing speech, language and hearing, orientation and mobility, or audiology services.