Special 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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Minority Grants - How They Work

Many students falling under the minority groups will find a number of minority grants availed to them by different types of organization. These grants are offered to these students to allow them get the financial help they need in order to complete their studies. Unlike scholarships, these grants are not based on the academic merit as well as financial needs, or both; instead, they are based on the underrepresented students in schools across the country.

Types
Students will find two main types of funds to choose from. The first one is the ethnic minority grant that is designed to offer assistance to students as based on their ethnic challenges. These funds are available for students with an African-American background or Hispanics.

The other option is the non ethnic funds offered to students who are challenged in terms of physical barriers or in other ways when it comes to pursuing their education and professional career. There are minority grants that are meant for students who suffer from autism, ADD as well as physical disabilities. Women can take advantage of the women grants that are meant to help them get into different fields and programs that were traditionally meant for men.

Where to find them?
The students can get these funds from a variety of sources, starting with the federal and state government. These two have been proactive for offering them, and students can check out their websites for more information.

The other option is the minority foundations. There are quite a number of them offering these grants as well as scholarships for different groups of students, such as women or members of specific ethnic groups. It is the responsibility of the students to make sure that they are eligible for these funds before applying for them.

It is important to keep in mind that some of these options are very competitive and students need to keep checking out for them so that they take advantage of them and get to handle their finances for academic needs.

FAFSA matters
One of the most important things that students must keep in mind when looking for these funds is the FAFSA- Free application for Federal Student Aid. The student must complete this application, and submit it so that they are considered for the programs. Without this, they will not only miss their deadline but also forfeit their chances to earn thousands of dollars in college cash.

The Federal FAFSA deadline is June of every year, but the state deadlines vary from state to state. It is important that the students fill out the form in completion. They can also ask their financial aid department for assistance when applying for the minority grants. The FAFSA is the tool that will help determine whether the students qualify for the financial aid because these funds are offered as based on the financial needs of the students.

Getting minority grants is easy because there are different types of organizations offering them. However, students need to keep in mind that these minority grants are competitive and they require the FAFSA.

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Universal Thinking

"We are the vessels through which the universe has come to recognise itself"-Carl Sagan

Why are we here? What is the purpose of life? Are we alone? They are but a few questions that human intelligence has the audacity to ask, but still in the 21st Century the majority of society doesn't ask, and if they do then it is without any meaningful desire to find out and understand. Has society become too addicted to selfishness and the pursuit of happiness through the universally narrow minded system of capitalism that it has become totally ignorant to the beauty and wonder of our existence and the search for the true meaning of life and living?

We live on a tiny planet in a solar system revolving around one star in a galaxy estimated of having 200-400 billion stars and 50 billion planets in a universe of an estimated 200-400 billion galaxies with hundreds of billions of stars with an unknown and possibly unbelievable amount of planets of which some could support life of all kinds.

If there is intelligent life somewhere out there upon the vast cloud of unknown, who have the intelligence of humans or most likely millions or even billions of years more advanced than us, will their societies be more worried in material prosperity and universal isolation as that of humankind or would they have long overcome mass ignorance and material greed that now their galaxies have become their "EARTH". By educating their societies in a spirit of universal harmony in a process over hundreds and thousands of years that finally they broke free of their planet or galaxy and travelled further afield with a new advanced sophisticated view of life, a view of universal nationalism, nationalism were everything is defined by laws of the universe, a view were respect for life and the importance of life is understood deeply, a view of educating every person from a young age in cosmology and physics through suitable ways, were every person understands the responsibility humankind potentially holds on life in the universe, were societies number one priority is to work in advancing humankind's understanding, searching and travelling of the universe.

In the modern world society is controlled through the means of media, business and politicians whose decades long war on social intellect in order to keep capitalism alive has resulted in the majority of society more interested in the life of a celebrity rather than the true meaning of why the celebrity exists at all.

"In order to make an apple pie from scratch you must first create the universe"-Carl Sagan

A basic question that every human has the intelligence to ask but don't because they have become comfort junkies as in they have become so comfortable with looking well, shopping, partying and so on that they don't bother to ask the big questions the questions we all should be searching for and which governments should be based upon and striving all the time to keep the public aware and dedicated in the search for understanding.

It is only when this desire amongst society to change their view of the world with a spirit of universal harmony instead of an egotistic isolationist view, that society will truly feel mentally and physically free.

AUTHOR. Darren M

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