504 Also known as Section 504, this is a federal law passed to protect students with disabilities in programs that receive federal funding.[excerpt] "No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States . . . shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance . . . ."

 

 

A.D.A. Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. This law also sets provisions for accommodations however, the language found in the accommodations is somewhat ambiguous as it states "reasonable accommodations" need to be made but the term "reasonable" is somewhat open to interpretation. 

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BICS/CALP Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills. "BICS refers to conversational fluency in a language..." Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency. "CALP refers to students’ ability to understand and express, in both oral and written modes, concepts and ideas that are relevant to success in school." 

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Early Intervention E.I./E.C.S.E. "Early intervention is a system of services that helps babies and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities. Early intervention focuses on helping eligible babies and toddlers learn the basic and brand-new skills that typically develop during the first three years of life, such as:

• physical (reaching, rolling, crawling, and walking);

• cognitive (thinking, learning, solving problems);

• communication (talking, listening, understanding);

• social/emotional (playing, feeling secure and happy); and

• self-help (eating, dressing)."

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F.A.P.E. Free and Appropriate Public Education for all students. This is included in Section 504 and I.D.E.A. which prohibits discrimination against students with disabilities and allows for all students with disabilities to access a free and appropriate public education. "Under Section 504, FAPE consists of the provision of regular or special education and related aids and services designed to meet the student's individual educational needs as adequately as the needs of non[-]disabled students are met." 

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H.I.P.A.A. "The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge." 

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I.D.E.A. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. "The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children. Infants and toddlers, birth through age 2, with disabilities and their families receive early intervention services under IDEA Part C. Children and youth ages 3 through 21 receive special education and related services under IDEA Part B."

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I.E.P. "The Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) is a plan or program developed to ensure that a child who has a disability identified under the law and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives specialized instruction and related services." In this plan are documented services/accommodations for the student, documented assessments and diagnoses, goals the student will work on, reports on the students present levels of functioning and achievement and any other necessary documentation related to the student's educational plan.  

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I.F.S.P. Individualized Family Service Plan. Similar to an IEP but focuses on family needs in addition to student needs."The Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) is a plan or program developed to ensure that a child who has a disability identified under the law and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives specialized instruction and related services." "An IFSP is a document or written plan. The term “IFSP” also refers to the process of determining what services a young child with developmental delays or disabilities needs. It uses an “interagency” approach by involving representatives of several agencies (usually education, health, and human services) and other resources that can help the child and family. This process provides an opportunity for sharing between families and staff so that families can make informed choices about the early intervention services they want for their child and themselves."

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L.R.E. "Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) is the requirement in federal law that students with disabilities receive their education, to the maximum extent appropriate, with nondisabled peers and that special education students are not removed from regular classes unless, even with supplemental aids and services, education in regular classes cannot be achieved satisfactorily. [20 United States Code (U.S.C.) Sec. 1412(a)(5)(A); 34 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) Sec. 300.114.]" 

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Office for Civil Rights. “Protecting Students With Disabilities.” Home, Office of Civil Rights, 10 Jan. 2020, www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html.

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Cummins, Jim. “BICS and CALP: Clarifying the Distinction.” ERIC, 1999, eric.ed.gov/?id=ED438551.

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Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “What Is ‘Early Intervention’?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9 Dec. 2019, www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/parents/states.html#:~:text=Is%20the%20term%20used%20to,of%20the%20child%20and%20family.

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“About IDEA.” Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 24 Nov. 2020, sites.ed.gov/idea/about-idea/.

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“What Is the Difference between an IEP and a 504 Plan?” What Is the Difference between an IEP and a 504 Plan? | AccessComputing, www.washington.edu/accesscomputing/what-difference-between-iep-and-504-plan#:~:text=The%20Individualized%20Educational%20Plan%20(IEP,specialized%20instruction%20and%20related%20services.

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Pacer Center. “What Is the Difference between an IFSP and an IEP?” Pacer Center Champions for Children with Disabilities, Pacer Center, 2011, www.pacer.org/parent/php/PHP-c59.pdf.

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“Information of Least Restrictive Environment.” Mountain Union Area School District.

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“Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14 Sept. 2018, www.cdc.gov/phlp/publications/topic/hipaa.html.