A

• Advocate: Someone who takes action to help someone else (as in “educational advocate”); also, to take action on someone’s behalf.
• Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ): A developmental screening tool that checks how kids grow and develop from the ages of one month to 5 ½ years. Available in two formats: ASQ-3 (developmental) and ASQ-SE-2 (social-emotional)
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): This federal law stops discrimination based on disability. It covers employment, state and local government, public places, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications.
• Appeal: A written request for a change in a decision; also, to make such a request.
• Area Board: Located in 13 regions throughout California,. Area Boards were set up to monitor and review the service delivery system for people with developmental disabilities.
• Assessment: The observing and testing of a person to better identify their strengths and needs. This way, we can create fitting educational programs and track their progress.
• Assessment plan: Outlines the tests to be used in a specific student’s evaluation. These can include psychological, achievement, and language tests.
• At-risk: A term used to describe children who have, or could have, developmental problems that may affect their future learning.
• Attention deficit disorder (ADD or ADHD): A behavioral disorder characterized by short attention span, excessive impulsiveness, and hyperactivity that isn’t always appropriate. Symptoms vary basedon environmental factors.
• Audiological services: This service identifies children with hearing loss. It also provides services and supports to help them maximize their strengths and abilities.
• Auditory processing: The ability to understand and use information that is heard; both with words and non-verbal sounds.
• Autism: A disability marked by severe language and communication defects, trouble relating to others, unusual movements, and self-stimulatory patterns. People may also struggle with handling toys or objects and lack many everyday skills.

B

• Behavior disorder: A disability that makes it difficult for a child to learn or get along with others. The causes of this disorder may vary greatly.

C

• California Children Services (CCS): California’s Title V program for children with special health care needs. (Title V is the federal funding source.) CCS arranges, directs and pays for medical care, equipment and rehabilitation for CCS-eligible conditions. Eligibility rules apply.
• Cerebral Palsy (CP): A neurological movement disorder characterized by the lack of muscle control and impairment in the coordination of movement. The disorder is usually a result of injury to the brain during early development in the uterus or at birth. Cerebral Palsy is not progressive. Symptoms may include; muscle weakness in infancy, drooling, speech impairment, difficulty in maintaining bladder and/or bowel control, and seizures.
• Child Protective Services (CPS): A branch of the Department of Human Services charged with the investigation of charges of abuse against children.
• Community Advisory Council (CAC): A group of parents of children with disabilities, members of the community, students and special education professionals who advise the school board and school district administration about special education programs.
• Counseling: A related service; includes parents and children receiving assistance from social workers, psychologists, and/or guidance counselors

D

• Department of Developmental Services (DDS): The state agency that governs California’s Early Start program, as well as other statewide programs for children and adults with disabilities. DDS provides services and supports to persons with developmental disabilities through 21 Regional Centers throughout California.
• Department of Rehabilitation (DR): A state and federally funded program offering a variety of services for individuals with disabilities and employers looking to hire qualified candidates. Department of Rehabilitation services are tailored to each person to help him or her reach their employment goal. Individuals with disabilities and counselors work together to determine which services will provide the best support to prepare for, find and retain a job.
• Designated Instruction and Services (DIS): Sometimes called related services; specialized instruction and/or support services identified through an assessment and written in an IEP as necessary for a child to benefit from special education (e.g. speech/language therapy, vision services, etc.).
• Developmental delay: A term used to describe the development of children when they cannot perform the skills that other children of the same age usually are able to perform.
• Developmental history: The progress a child has made acquiring skills or milestones (such as reaching, rolling, crawling).
• Developmental skills/milestones: Actions (such as reaching, rolling and crawling) that a child is expected to perform within a given age range.
• Developmental tests: Standardized tests that measure a child’s development as compared to the development of all other children at that age.

E

• Early Childhood Specialists: A childhood development counselor, someone who usually has a Master’s degree or Ph.D. in early childhood development, related to early childhood education and/or development.
• Early Intervention: Services and programs for infants and young children (under 3 years old) who are experiencing delays in reaching developmental milestones, have disabilities or who are at risk for developing disabling conditions.
• EPSDT — Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment: Mandatory Medicaid (Medi-Cal) benefits and services for Medicaid (Medi-Cal) eligible children and adolescents under age 21; designed to ensure children’s access to early and comprehensive preventative health care and treatment. State Medicaid programs (Medi-Cal) must provide EPSDT benefits.
• Early Start: California’s term for early intervention services provided under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
• Early intervention program: A program in which problems that have been discovered in a child’s development are remedied before the child’s later development and learning are seriously affected.
• Entitlement: The legal right to certain services and benefits.
• Fair hearing: A formal meeting held by an outside individual to resolve a disagreement about regional center services or a child’s educational program.

F

• Family Resource Center (FRC): Provides information, education and support to families of children with special health care needs. In San Francisco, Support for Families of Children with Disabilities is the Family Resource Center.

H

• Healthy Families: California’s State Child Health Insurance Plan to provide health insurance for low-income children in families with incomes too high to qualify for Medi-Cal. Eligibility rules apply.
• Health and nursing services: A related service; health-related services provided by a school nurse or other trained professional.

I

• Individualized Education Program (IEP): A plan of services for children receiving special education services through IDEA.
• Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP): A plan of services and support for Early Start eligible children and their families, developed based on service needs. The plan includes services necessary to meet the unique needs of the child and family, beginning and end dates of services, and the way in which the services will be delivered.
• Individualized Program Plan (IPP): The plan outlining services a child will receive from the Golden Gate Regional Center.
• Individualized Transition Plan (ITP): An educational plan designed to facilitate a student’s moving from one setting to another (e.g., from one classroom or school to another, or from school to work). Transition planning begins at age 14.
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): The federal law that mandates and regulates special education services for all children with disabilities ages 0-21.
• Informed consent: A parent’s written permission to assess his/her child, to provide services to the child, or to place the child in a special education setting.
• Institutional deeming: Allows children with disabilities to qualify for Medi-Cal without regard to parent’s income or assets. Eligibility rules apply.
• Intake: The process an agency uses to determine if a child is eligible for the services they offer.
• Interdisciplinary team: A team emphasizing interaction among a variety of disciplines.

L

• Lanterman Act: California law that establishes the rights of persons with developmental disabilities to services and supports they need and choose. This law is administered through the Department of Developmental Services and services are provided through the California Regional center system.

M

• Mediation: A meeting of parents and school district personnel aimed at reaching an agreement regarding the child’s educational program. This is also a part of the fair hearing process with the regional center.
• Medicaid Waivers: These waivers (also known as Institutional Deeming) allow some children with special needs, whose parents are over income limits, to qualify for Medi-Cal benefits. Waivers are administered by the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) or by the In-Home Operations division of Medi-Cal. Eligibility rules apply.
• Medi-Cal: California’s public program that pays for health and long term care services for low-income Californians, as well as others with very high medical expenses. Medi-Cal offers two types of coverage: Fee for Service and Managed Care. Eligibility rules apply. Also known as Medicaid.
• Multidisciplinary: The involvement of two or more disciplines or professions in the provision of services.
• Multidisciplinary Team: Under state law, refers to the involvement of two or more disciplines or professions, and the parent or guardian, in the provision of integrated and coordinated services, including evaluation, assessment and IFSP development.

N

• Natural Environments: Early intervention services provided in the natural environment to the maximum extent appropriate, including home and community settings in which the infant or toddler without disabilities participate.

O

• Occupational therapy (OT): Therapy; to assist the child with severe balance and coordination problems, perceptual motor deficits, and difficulty in the performance of daily living skills; given when assessment shows that motor and perceptual difficulties interfere with classroom performance.

P

• Payor of last resort: A term used to describe a situation where funds are not to be used to satisfy a financial commitment for services that would be otherwise paid for from another public or private source. For example, funds for early intervention may only be used for early intervention services that an eligible child needs but is not currently entitled to under any other federal, state, local or private source.

R

• Referral: A recommendation for assessment to determine if a specialized service is required and at what level.
• Regional Centers: Mandated by the Lanterman Act to provide case management services, coordinate purchase of services, and provide access to services in the community for persons with developmental disabilities. These centers are unique to California.
• Release of Information Form: A signed, legal document that gives a doctor, school, or business permission to share your private records—such as medical history or test results—with a specific person or organization you choose

S

• Service Coordination: Activities carried out by regional center staff to assist and enable a child and his/her family to receive services under the Early Start program.

T

• Transition: A time in a person’s life when she/he moves from one educational program to another (for example, from an infant program to preschool, or from high school to work.)
• Transition Plan: A part of the IFSP which is done when a child is 2.6 years old. It is developed by the families, regional center service coordinator, public school personnel, and other members of the multi-agency team. The Transition Plan includes specific steps to help families and their children through the process.