Understanding "Lingo"

[Janice Adamson]

Often times many parents are at a loss when describing what it is they'd like to express while advocating for services, attending IEP's or meetings with professionals. I've comprised a Glossary to help others who are not familiar with the terminology used that everyone should familiarize themselves with, so they don't feel at a loss for the more appropriately, more commonly used words when explaining circumstances and/or when understanding professionals.

GLOSSARY


Accomadation: Providing what is needed or desired to achieve goals; a means of identifying, preventing and removing barriers that impede students with disabilities from participating fully in the educational environment in a way that is responsive to their own unique circumstances.

Accountability: An obligation or willingness to accept responsibility of to account for one's actions.

Adaptation: Adjustment to environmental conditions to accomodate differing needs; a change made in teaching practices, materials, assignments or products to help achieve the expected learning outcomes.

Advocacy: The act or process of supporting a cause or proposal.

Appropriate: Especially suitable or compatible (i.e. fitting).

Appropriate Educational Programming: A collaborative school/family/community process where school communities create learning environments and provide resources and services that are responsive to the lifelong learning, social and emotional needs of all students.

Assessment: The systematic process of gathering information about what a student knows, is able to do and is learning to do.

Behaviour Intervention Plan: An intervention plan developed by a team to meet a student's social/emotional and behavioural needs.

Best Practices: A technique, method, process, activity, incentive or reward that is more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method process, etc.

Collaboration: To work jointly with others or together to develop a plan or program.

Cooperation: The association of individuals for a common benefit.

Cirriculum: The cirriculum prescribed by the Minister of Education, Citizenship and Youth. It is a statement of intended outcomes, products or competencies that are to be achieved for each grade level in the public education system.

Differentiated Instruction: A method of instruction or assessment that alters the presentation of the cirriculum for the purpose ofresponding to the diversity of learning, interests and strengths of individuals.

Discrimination: Prejudiced or prejudicial outlook, action or treatment directed to an individual or group based upon their differences from [/font]others.

Expected Learning Outcomes: The learning outcomes consistent with the cirriculum.

Individualized Programming: Programming designed to meet the needs of students with/without severe cognitive disabilities who need programming outside the regular cirriculum in areas of exceptional learning, social/emotional, behavioural, sensory, physical, cognitive/intellectual, communication, acedemic or special healthcare needs.

Integration: To end the segregation of and bring into equal membership in society or an organization.

Modification: Changes in the number or the content of the learning outcomes a student is expected to meet made by the teacher and/or the school team.

Performance Objective: Statements that identify the specific knowledge, skill or attitude the learner should gain and display as a result of the training or instructional activity.

Pupil File: A collection of written information about a student's education stored in a file in the school or school division office in paper, electronic or other form.

Reasonable Accomodation: The school's obligation to address the special needs of students, such as a physical or mental disability, etc., and effect the individuals ability to access educational/school services of facilities; the measures to accommodate special needs will be reasonable and required unles they cause undue hardship due to cost, risk to safety, impact on others, or other factors.

Resolution: To deal with successfully; to find an answer to.

Resource Teacher: A teacher whose principal duties are to diagnose individual educational programs, to prescribe special remedial measures for use by teaching staff, to give direct assistance to teachers and students in need of special help and to provide school personnel and parents with consultative services.

Special Education Resource Teacher: A teacher who holds specialist qualifications in special education and is qualified/experienced in student assessment.

Student Specific Outcome: A goal for an individual education plan (IEP) for a student; it states what the student will learn, when this will be accomplished, and how the goal will be met.

Substantive Equality: This requires challenging common stereotypes about group characteristics that may underlie law or government action as well as ensuring that important differences in life experience. as viewed by the equality seeker, are taken into account.

Task Analysis: The process of breaking a complex behaviour ( a chain of simple behaviors that follow one another) down to its component parts.

Transition: Moving an individual from one environment/activity to another at key points in his/her development from childhood to adulthood. (e.g. entry into kindergarten or nursery schoolyears, transition frome Early to Middle Years, from one situation and/or grade to the next, or from school to post-secondary education or employment).

Vocational Training: Prepares learners for careers that are based in manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic and totally related to specific trade.

[cyberpedz]

Thank you Janice very good post, i am going to pin stick this one.

[Janice Adamson]

My pleasure, Gavin! I'll be adding a comprised list of verbs in a variety of areas (verbal/linguistic, interpersonal, visual/spatial, etc.) for suggestive language as time permits. I, myself am and was familiar with the terminology used (prior to having children myself within the spectrum), having a work background in Social Services. I realize many others do not. It is my hope others find this information helpful.