504 Plan – 504 is a broad civil rights law that protects the right of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education.  504 identifies children that have a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits a major life activity or who are regarded by others as disabled. A 504 plan can be developed that specifies how the student will access the general curriculum and activities of the school community.

688 Referral – Chapter 688 (commonly referred to as the ”turning 22 law”) establishes a planning process which identifies services or supports which may be needed through the adult service system once the student has graduated or turns 22 and special education entitlements have terminated.

Filing a Chapter 688 referral creates a documented need for services and supports for adults with severe disabilities. The primary goal of filing a Chapter 688 referral is to plan for needed adult services for students. In those cases where a student is determined to be eligible and services are not provided due to a lack of funding or program availability, agency personnel can advocate to increase funds in the budget planning process for the next fiscal year in order to provide the needed services.

ADA – The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is the short title of United States Public Law 101-336 signed into law on July 26, 1990 by President George H. W. Bush. The ADA is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits, under certain circumstances, discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made discrimination based on race, religion, sex, national origin, and other characteristics illegal.

ADD/ADHD – Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is generally considered to be a developmental disorder, largely neurological in nature, affecting about 5% of the world's population. The disorder typically presents itself during childhood, and is characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity, as well as forgetfulness, poor impulse control or impulsivity, and distractibility. ADHD is currently considered to be a persistent and chronic condition for which no medical cure is available. ADHD is most commonly diagnosed in children and, over the past decade, has been increasingly diagnosed in adults.

BSEA – The Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA) conducts mediations, advisory opinions and hearings to resolve disputes among parents, school districts, private schools and state agencies concerning eligibility, evaluation, placement, individualized education programs (IEPs), special education services and procedural protections for students with disabilities.

DOE – The United States Department of Education (also referred to as DOE, for Department of Education) is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. Created by the Department of Education Organization Act (Public Law 96-88), it began operating in 1980. Each state has it’s own Department of Education falling under the US-DOE.

ESP – Educational Surrogate Parent (ESP) is an individual who has been appointed to represent the educational interests of a child with disabilities, when the parent is unable or unwilling to do so. A Surrogate Parent is appointed to ensure that the educational rights of a child with disabilities are protected.

FAPE – Guaranteed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) is an educational right of disabled children in the United States. FAPE is defined as an educational program that is individualized to a specific child, designed to meet that child's unique needs, provides access to the general curriculum, meets the grade-level standards established by the state, and from which the child receives educational benefit.

FCSN – The Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN) is a center for parents and parent organizations to work together on behalf of children with special needs and their families. Organized in 1975 as a coalition of parent groups representing children with a variety of disabilities, the Federation operates a Parent Center in Massachusetts which offers a variety of services to parents, parent groups, and others who are concerned with children with special needs.

GAL – Guardian ad Litem (GAL) is a person who has the legal authority (and the corresponding duty) to care for the personal and property interests of another person, called a ward. Usually, a person has the status of guardian because the ward is incapable of caring for his or her own interests due to infancy, incapacity, or disability. Most countries and states have laws that provide that the parents of a minor child are the legal guardians of that child, and that the parents can designate who shall become the child's legal guardian in the event of their death.

IDEA –The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a United States federal law that governs how states and public agences provide early intervention, special education, and related services to children with disabilities. It addresses the educational needs of children with disabilities from birth to the age of 21

IEE – Federal law defines an IEE broadly as "an evaluation conducted by a qualified examiner who is not employed by the public agency responsible for the education of the child in question." 34 C.F.R. 300.503.

An IEE is not limited to evaluating only a child's academic or cognitive skills, but may include the evaluation of any skill related to the child's educational needs. Evaluations of neurological functioning, adapted physical education, sensory needs, even music therapy, are but a few examples of the types of IEEs covered under the IDEA. Parents may obtain an IEE, for virtually any purpose if it impacts the child's education.

IEP – In the United States an Individualized Education Program, commonly referred to as an IEP, is mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In the US, the IDEA requires public schools to develop an IEP for every student with a disability who is found to meet the federal and state requirements for special education. ^[1]. The IEP must be designed to provide the child with a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). The IEP refers both to the educational program to be provided to a child with a disability and to the written document that describes that educational program.

LRE – As part of the U.S. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the least restrictive environment is identified as one of the six principles that govern the education of students with disabilities. "Least restrictive environment" means that a student who has a disability should have the opportunity to be educated with non-disabled peers, to the greatest extent possible.

MCAS - The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System commonly called the MCAS, is the Commonwealth's statewide standards-based assessment program developed in response to the lack of stress in the Massachusetts Educations system as well as in response to Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993. State and federal law mandates that all students who are enrolled in the tested grades and who are educated with Massachusetts public funds participate in MCAS testing.

NCLB – The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110), commonly known as NCLB, is a United States federal law that was passed in the House of Representatives on May 23, 2001^[1] and signed on January 8, 2002, that reauthorized a number of federal programs aiming to improve the performance of U.S. primary and secondary schools by increasing the standards of accountability for states, school districts and schools, as well as providing parents more flexibility in choosing which schools their children will attend. Additionally, it promoted an increased focus on reading and re-authorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).

Up for possible reauthorization in 2007, a new Congress is considering major revisions, as one group of 50 Republican senators and representatives introduced legislation in March 2007 to provide states much greater freedom from NCLB's controls and punishments.

PQA – Program Quality Assurance Services (PQA) implements the Department's compliance monitoring and complaint management procedures for school districts, charter schools, educational collaboratives, and approved public and private day and residential special education schools and provides technical assistance to school personnel and the public regarding the implementation of laws and regulations.

SLD - Specific learning disability (SLD) is a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which disorder may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. The term does not include a learning problem that is primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.

SSP-The Student Success Plan (SSP) is a plan that describes the instruction and assistance available to each student who has scored below level two on the MCAS to support the student's mastery of the skills and knowledge needed to meet state performance standards. The supports described in the individual Student Success Plan document the ways in which the student will be helped to raise his/her academic performance.

TEAM – A team whose task is to develop an appropriate educational program for the child and that includes: the parent; at least one of the child's regular education teachers; one of the child's special education teachers; a representative of the public agency that is qualified to provide or supervise the provision of instruction that is designed specifically for children with disabilities who is knowledgeable about general curriculum and the availability of resources; a person who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results; the child, if appropriate; at the discretion of the parent or the public agency, other persons with knowledge or special expertise about the child.