Special education comes with its own vocabulary, and it’s easy for both new administrators and first-time parents to feel lost in the acronyms. This glossary collects the terms families and school teams hear most often — in plain language, A to Z. Where we’ve published a fuller explainer on a term, we’ve linked to it below; otherwise, treat this page as your quick-reference starting point.
Accommodation
A change to how a student accesses instruction or testing — extended time, preferential seating, a scribe — without changing what they’re expected to learn. Accommodations remove barriers to demonstrating knowledge the student already has.
Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
A written plan that lays out strategies to reduce a student’s challenging behavior and reinforce a replacement skill, usually built from the findings of a Functional Behavior Assessment. See our full guide: What Is a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)?
Behavioral Support Aide
An aide trained to support a student whose IEP or BIP includes behavioral goals, often implementing the strategies in that student’s BIP directly in the classroom. Learn more about this aide type: Behavioral Support Aide Services.
Case Manager
The staff member, usually a special education teacher, responsible for coordinating a student’s IEP — scheduling meetings, tracking goal progress, and serving as the family’s main point of contact within the school.
DOJ Applicant Agency / ORI
Status the California Department of Justice grants to organizations authorized to submit Live Scan fingerprint-based background checks and receive results directly, under an assigned ORI (Originating Agency Identifier). Blue Horizons holds this status, so every aide’s DOJ screening is handled directly rather than through a third party.
DOJ Background Clearance
A criminal background check through the California Department of Justice, required before anyone works around students in a school setting. Every aide Blue Horizons places has cleared this screening.
Extended School Year (ESY)
Special education services provided beyond the regular school calendar — typically in summer — for students whose IEP team determines they would otherwise lose significant ground. See our full guide: What Is Extended School Year (ESY)?
FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education)
The federal guarantee that every student with a disability receives special education and related services designed to meet their needs, at no cost to the family. See our full guide: Understanding FAPE.
Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)
A structured process for identifying why a student engages in a specific challenging behavior — what triggers it and what it gets the student — that typically informs a Behavior Intervention Plan. See our full guide: What Is a Functional Behavior Assessment?
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
A legally binding document that spells out a student’s disability, present levels of performance, annual goals, and the services and supports a school must provide. See our full guide: What Is an IEP? A Complete Guide.
IEP Team
The group of people — parent, general and special education teachers, an administrator, and often related-service providers — who together write and review a student’s IEP. See our full guide: What Is an IEP Team Meeting?
IEP vs. 504 Plan
Both protect students with disabilities, but an IEP provides specialized instruction under special education law while a 504 plan provides accommodations under civil rights law without changing the curriculum. See our full comparison: IEP vs 504 Plan: What’s the Difference.
Inclusion
The practice of educating students with disabilities alongside their non-disabled peers in the general education classroom, with supports brought to the student rather than the student being pulled out. See our full guide: Inclusion Classrooms: What Parents Should Know.
Instructional Aide
A paraeducator who works under a teacher’s direction to deliver one-on-one or small-group academic support tied to a student’s IEP goals. For how this role compares to related titles, see: Instructional Aide vs Teacher’s Aide vs Paraeducator.
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
The legal requirement that a student with a disability be educated with non-disabled peers to the greatest extent appropriate, removed from the general classroom only as much as their needs require. See our full guide: Understanding Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).
Modification
A change to what a student is expected to learn or demonstrate — such as a shortened assignment or a lower reading level — distinct from an accommodation, which changes only how the student accesses the same material.
One-on-One (1:1) Aide
An aide assigned to support a single student throughout the school day, as opposed to an aide who circulates among several students in a classroom. See: One-on-One (1:1) Aide Placement.
Paraeducator / Paraprofessional
The broader job classification that instructional, behavioral, and shadow aides all fall under — a school employee or contracted staff member who supports certificated teachers rather than leading instruction independently. See: Paraprofessional / Paraeducator Staffing.
Present Levels of Performance (PLOP / PLAAFP)
The section of an IEP that describes exactly where a student is functioning academically, behaviorally, and developmentally right now — the baseline every annual goal is measured against.
Related Services
Support services — speech therapy, occupational therapy, counseling, transportation — that a student needs to benefit from special education, provided alongside instruction rather than in place of it.
Section 504 Plan
A plan under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act that provides accommodations for a student with a disability who doesn’t require specialized instruction under an IEP. See our full guide: What Is a 504 Plan?
Sensory Support Aide
An aide trained to support students with sensory processing needs, helping regulate a student’s environment and responses so they can stay engaged in the classroom. See: Sensory Support Aide Services.
Shadow Aide
A term families often use for a one-on-one aide who follows a specific student throughout their school day, providing consistent, individualized support. See: Shadow Aide Services.
Transition Plan
The part of an IEP, required by age 16, that outlines a student’s goals for life after high school — further education, employment, or independent living — and the services that will help them get there.
Triennial Review (Reassessment)
A comprehensive re-evaluation required at least every three years to confirm a student still qualifies for special education and that their services still match their needs.
This glossary is a plain-language reference, not legal advice — if you have questions about a specific IEP, 504 plan, or aide placement, your school’s case manager or a special education attorney is the right resource for guidance specific to your situation. For more on how Blue Horizons places and supervises aides, visit our homepage or contact our team directly.
