As you become involved in the special education system, it is vital that you have an understanding of some of the more basic (but often elusive) terminology that is used, including, but certainly not limited to:
- Access to the General Curriculum
- Individualized Education Program (IEP)
- Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
- Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
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Team Meeting (and, more importantly, the significance of a SPED director or other Team chairperson acting unilaterally, without the input of all Team members)
Please refer to A Parent's Guide to Special Education which may be found at the following link to the DOE's web site:
A Parent's Guide to SPED
This guide is a good primer but we urge you not to stop there. If it turns out that your child may require special education services, the learning has just begun. So take a deep breath and prepare yourself for some intensive education over the next several years.
The definitions above are based on materials available on the Massachusetts DOE web site and are of a general nature. It is not our intent to render legal or other professional advice.
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