The Take Charge Helpline

Glossary of Terms

ADHD Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder
Accommodation Refers to any alteration of existing facilities or procedures to make them readily accessible to persons with disabilities.
ADA Americans with Disabilities Act
ADD Attention Deficit Disorder
Age of Majority The age that the state has determined a person is able to make decisions on his/her own (usually age 18, unless determined incompetent to do so by a court of law.
Annual Goals A set of general statements which represent expected achievement over a year’s time for people with disabilities enrolled in special education programs and services.
Anticonvulsant Medication that acts in preventing or arresting seizures.
Antidepressant Medication that acts in counteracting depression.
Categorical Classroom A classroom program usually designed to meet the common needs of students who have the same impairment.
CBE Community Based Education
CBI Community Based Instruction
CMH Community Mental Health
Complaint A specific written and signed allegation by an agency, private individual, or organization that there is an uncorrected violation, misinterpretation or misapplication of the law, the state or intermediate school district plan, an individualized education program, or hearing officer or court decision.
Comprehension Refers to one’s ability to understand speech and language in any form.
Comprehensive Evaluation A series of tests and observations, formal and informal, conducted for the purpose of determining eligibility for special education and related services, and for determining the current level of educational performance.
Consent A written agreement to carry out an activity after being fully informed in one’s native language of all information relevant to the activity.
CP Cerebral Palsy
DCH Department of Community Health
DD Developmental Disability
DHS Department of Human Services
Detoxification Recovery from the toxic effects of a drug.
Developmental Disability A disability that is acquired during the period the person is developing, generally before age 21 or at birth, and that significantly impacts several life activity areas such as self-care, self-direction, learning, mobility, speech and independent living.
EPSDT Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment. Mandatory Medicaid health benefits and services for Medicaid eligible children and adolescents. Designed to ensure children’s access to early and comprehensive preventive care and treatment. The state Medicaid agency is required to pay for and make sure that providers deliver EPSDT services.
Echolalia The automatic, involuntary repetition of heard phrases and sentences.
EEG Electroencephalogram. The record of brain waves of electrical potential. Used in diagnosing various pathologies and diseases such as epilepsy.
Eligibility A set of rules that determine whether students are qualified to receive services based on the nature and severity of the disability, income, or other characteristics.
FAPE Free Appropriate Public Education. The requirements introduced by the Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (now IDEA), that requires schools to provide an education relevant to the needs of students with disabilities. The courts have generally stated that appropriateness does not mean optimal, only that the student is progressing at a reasonable rate.
Handicapped Person A person determined by an individualized educational planning team(IEPT) or a hearing officer to have a characteristic or set of characteristics as defined in the descriptions of the handicapping condition (Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cognitive Impairment, Deaf-Blindness, Early Childhood Developmental Delay, Emotional Impairment, Hearing Impairment, Other Health Impairment, Physical Impairment, Severe Multiple Impairment, Specific Learning Disability, Speech and Language Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Visual Impairment) and who, because of the impairment, needs special education or related services.
HHS Health and Human Services. Federal department in which many health-related agencies are housed; also called DHHS.
IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The federal special education law that describes and protects students with disabilities. An updated version of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) which first required the statement of needed transition services as part of the IEP in 1990.
IFSP Individualized Family Service Plan
Impairment Related Work Expense Certain expenses for things a person with a disability needs because of his or her impairment in order to work. These expenses may be deducted when determining eligibility for SSDI or SSI.
Inclusion The process of including students with disabilities in the environments, activities, and curriculum of typical students and persons. Inclusion may mean different things to different people. Sometimes used interchangeably with the term “integration”.
IEE Independent Educational Evaluation. An evaluation conducted by a qualified examiner who is not employed by the public agency responsible for the education of the student.
IEP Individualized Education Program. A learning program developed by an individualized educational planning committee. This program is reviewed annually.
IEPT Individualized Educational Planning Team. Persons appointed and invited by the superintendent to determine a person’s eligibility for special education programs and services. If eligible and in need of special education programs and services, the team develops an individualized education program.
ISD Intermediate School District
Job Trainer In supported employment, generally a paraprofessional who provides on-site job training and support to a worker with a disability. Sometimes used interchangeably with employment specialist or job coach.
Job Shadowing The practice of allowing a student to observe a real work setting to determine their interest and to acquaint them with the requirements of the job.
Job Sharing The practice of having two or more persons share a job to provide accommodations in work scheduling or job duties.
LRE Least Restrictive Environment. Requires that all children with disabilities receive their education, to the maximum extent appropriate, with non-disabled peers and that special education pupils are not removed from regular classes unless, even with supplemental aids and services, education in regular classes cannot be achieved satisfactorily.
Managed Care A way to finance and deliver health care for a set fee using a defined network of services and providers.
MCPN Managed Comprehensive Provider Network
MDE, OSE/EIS Michigan Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services
Medicaid The federal law that uses state and federal funds to provide health insurance for people who meet certain eligibility standards, including children.
Medicaid Waiver Some Medicaid rules regarding income and other standards can be “waived” or dismissed in order to provide Medicaid coverage to certain groups of individuals, including children.
Medical Necessity Legal term that determines what health services are provided and/or paid for.
Medicare An insurance program serving persons 65 and older and individuals with disabilities regardless of their income if they are eligible for SSDI.
Mental Health Services Services provided to persons with significant behavioral or mood disorders that are not related to mental retardation or developmental disabilities.
MET Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team. A minimum of two persons who are responsible for conducting a comprehensive evaluation of students suspected of being handicapped or handicapped persons being reevaluated.
MSW Masters in Social Work
Nonverbal Refers to communication which takes place without spoken words.
OT Occupational Therapist. A person qualified to develop and implement programs to develop fine motor skills and skills and accommodations related to work and daily living.
OSEP Office of Special Education Programs
OSERS Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services
P & A Protection and Advocacy
PT Physical Therapist. A person qualified to develop and implement programs to develop fine and gross motor skills and rehabilitation services to persons with physical disabilities.
PPI Pre-Primary Impaired
Related Services Services that are provided as a supplement to an educational program and are required for the student to receive Free Appropriate Public Education.
School to Work Programs Refers to general education secondary programs developed under the School-to-Work Opportunity Act of 1994 that includes career education, work-based instruction experiences, and efforts to connect students with vocational and post school programs.
Self Advocacy The ability and opportunity to speak on behalf of one’s self.
Self Determination The ability and the opportunity to make decisions for one’s self.
Special Education Specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique educational needs of the special education student, and develop the maximum potential of the special education student.
SSA Social Security Administration
SSDI Social Security Disability Insurance
SSI Supplemental Security Income
Transition The process of moving from adolescence to adult roles where the child reconciles their needs, interests and preferences with adult norms and rules.
VR Vocational Rehabilitation
Work Incentives A number of Social Security work incentives that allow a person to exclude part of their income to maintain eligibility for SSI or SSDI. Includes PASS Plans, Impairment Related Work Expenses, Student Earned Income Exclusion and extended eligibility for Medicaid.

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