8 key special education terms parents should know

Special education has many terms that can be hard to understand. You may hear them often at school meetings or even see them in learning plans. And learning what they mean can help you best support your child.

In this episode, host Julian Saavedra breaks down 8 key special education terms in simple, clear language. Learn what these terms mean and how they relate to the support kids receive at school.

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Related resources

• Learning disability and ADHD glossary

• Disability inclusion glossary

• Opportunity Gap podcast page

Timestamps

(00:33) What is a learning disability?

(01:37) What is ADHD?

(02:59) What is special education?

(04:54) What is an IEP?

Episode transcript

Julian: Hey, family! Welcome back to the "Opportunity Gap." I'm your host, Julian. If you've ever found yourself searching up things like IEPs, ADHD, or wondering "What is executive functioning?," this episode right here, this is the one for you.

Today, we're gonna break down eight key terms most parents are wondering about when it comes to the world of learning and thinking differences. All right, let's get it. Let's dive in.

(00:33) What is a learning disability?

Number one, the big one: learning disabilities. Learning disabilities or learning differences are lifelong challenges with learning skills like reading and math. They're not related to innate intelligence, but they're more so in the different ways that a person expresses their intelligence. And that's a really big difference. A lot of people think that learning disabilities are related to how smart somebody is. That's not the case. All of us learn differently and all of us have different ways we show what we know.

And the biggest one, with the right support, our learning disabilities, our learning differences, are manageable, and there are ways that we can thrive.

OK, number two: dyslexia. Dyslexia is a common learning disability that mainly affects reading and spelling. Because it impacts reading, some people think dyslexia is a problem with vision, but it's not. It's a problem more so with how your brain processes language.

(01:37) What is ADHD?

Number three. This is the one that we've all heard about a lot, but we want to make sure you know what it is: ADHD. ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It's a very common condition that's caused by differences in the brain. People with ADHD have trouble with a group of key skills known as executive function. And that creates challenges in many areas of life, from school to work to everyday living. So, once again, ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Say that five times fast, see how you do.

Number four: executive function. Think of executive function as the brain's management system. It's a really important set of mental skills used to plan, prioritize, and literally just get things done. But it includes self-control, working memory, and flexible thinking. This directly relates to how a child organizes themselves and the tasks that need to get completed.

So, think about when your kid's trying to get ready in the morning, think about if they're doing a multi-step project, or even when you're just trying to follow basic instructions or directions. All of these things are impacted by a child's ability to have executive functioning skills.

(02:59) What is special education?

All right, number five: special education. Special education is instruction designed to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability. A special education plan may include other specialized instruction, like one-to-one instruction or small group learning. It doesn't mean that you're taken completely away from the regular learning environment. It just might mean that there's other services included. Or sometimes there's changes or accommodations like extra time on tests or preferential seating.

Number six: accommodations. I just mentioned the word accommodations when it related to special education. So, here's what it is. Accommodations are changes, changes. And the goal of those changes are to remove barriers for kids and adults with disabilities. They don't change what the kid is learning or what your job responsibility is at work. But these changes may be part of a 504 plan or an IEP.

OK, number seven: 504 plan. These three numbers are critically influential. A 504 plan is a tailored plan that removes barriers to learning for a student with a disability. It often includes accommodations but is not the same as a special education plan. Although some 504 plans do include specialized instruction. We have a lot of different episodes about 504 plans and IEP plans, so if you wanna know more about those differences, check out some of our previous shows.

(04:54) What is an IEP?

All right, last one. Number eight: IEP. An IEP is short for individualized education program, IEP. This is a formal, legally binding plan that details the special education instruction, supports, and services that a student with disabilities needs to make progress in school. An IEP plan can be used for kids as young as three years old, all the way up through 12th grade. It follows you all the way through. And so, we wanna make sure that you know exactly what that is, an IEP plan, individualized education program.

All right, y'all, so there you have it. You are now experts in eight key terms all about learning and thinking differences. Now remember, you don't need to know all these terms. You don't have to know everything. But you do need to know the ones that are gonna help you advocate for your child and for your children to advocate for themselves.

It's incredibly important to learn what the terms are because in education, there's a lot of acronyms, there's a lot of verbiage, there's a lot of terminology, and you want to make sure that you know what you're talking about. And if you don't know, luckily, I'm right here for you. So, if you found this episode helpful, share it with another parent, share it with the auntie, share with your cousin, share it your best friend, share it with your neighbor, share with anybody that's in your contacts and anybody that wants to learn more about advocating for their children.

And don't forget, subscribe to the "Opportunity Gap." We have tons of episodes that dive deeply into every single one of these eight terms that we discussed. Just because you're experts now, doesn't mean we can't learn a little bit more. We will also make sure to link some of our shows in the show notes, so check them out. All right, family, until the next time, we will see you out there. Keep listening, keep watching, and share our episodes so you can learn more about how to support your child.

That wraps today's episode. Thank you, everyone.

Understood.org is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at Understood.org/give.

The "Opportunity Gap" is produced by Tara Drinks and Cody Nelson. Video is produced by Calvin Knie and edited by Nico Rothenberg. Our theme music was written by Justin D. Wright, who also mixes the show. Samiah Adams is our supervising producer. Briana Berry is our production director. Neil Drumming is our editorial director. From Understood.org, our executive directors are Laura Key, Scott Cocchiere, Seth Melnick, and Jordan Davidson. Thanks again for listening.