Please note that these definitions have been simplified and are not all-inclusive Accommodations A change in test or course presentations, location, student response, time requirements or other attributes which is necessary to ensure access for a student with disabilities to participate and which does not fundamentally alter or lower the standard or expectations (or invalidate the test). E.g. preferential seating or use of a pencil grip.   Achievement test Test that measures competency in a particular area of knowledge or skill; measures mastery or acquisition of skills. Adaptation The umbrella term which includes both accommodations and modifications. That is, adaptations can be either accommodations or modifications, depending on the situation. Adapted Physical Education    Adapted physical education is a modified physical education class that is tailored to meet the individual needs of the students. This modified instruction usually occurs as a separate class.  Adapted physical education is a related service. (APE) Advocate One who pleads another's cause in support of an individual. Alternative Educational Setting An additional placement option for a disabled child’s IEP.  (AES) Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Legislation enacted to prohibit discrimination based on disability. (ADA) Appendix A Appendix to the federal special education regulations that answers questions about IEPs, IEP teams, parental role, transition Aprxia Of speech, also known as verbal apraxia or dyspraxia, is a speech disorder in which a person has trouble saying what he or she wants to say correctly and consistently. It is not due to weakness or paralysis of the speech muscles (the muscles of the face, tongue, and lips). The severity of apraxia of speech can range from mild to severe. Assessment Systematic method of obtaining information from tests or other sources; procedures used to determine child’s eligibility, identify the child’s strengths and needs, and services child needs to meet these needs. See also evaluations. Assistive technology device Equipment used to maintain or improve the capabilities of a child with a disability. Attention Deficit Disorder a learning disorder with characteristics of inattentiveness, distractibility, and impulsivity. (ADD) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Very similar to ADD, but additional characteristics of restlessness or hyperactivity.  (ADHD) Audiology Related service; includes identification, determination of hearing loss, and referral for habilitation of hearing. Auditorily Impaired A child is classified as “auditorily impaired” if the child is unable to hear within normal limits because s/he has physical problems with his/her hearing or difficulty understanding and processing information through hearing.  The child’s hearing impairment must have a harmful effect on the child’s educational performance in order for the child to be classified as “auditorily impaired.” a) Deafness: Deafness is an auditory impairment which is so severe that the child has difficulty processing information through hearing, with or without the use of a hearing aid or other amplification (to make the sounds louder). b) Hearing Impairment: Hearing impairment is an auditory impairment, which may or may not be permanent. Autism Developmental disability that affects communication and social interaction, adversely affects educational performance, is generally evident before age 3. Children with autism often engage in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resist environmental change or change in daily routines, and have unusual responses to sensory experiences. Autistic A child with autism has a pervasive developmental disability (“PDD”). PDD greatly affects a child’s ability to communicate verbally and non-verbally (with and without words) and a child’s ability to interact with other people. For a child to be classified as “autistic,” the child’s problems with communication and social interaction must have a harmful effect on his/her educational performance. The onset of autism usually occurs before a child turns three years old. Some common characteristics/behaviors of an autistic child include: over-reacting, under-reacting or unusual responses to sensory stimuli (i.e. extreme sensitivity to certain sounds, intense dislike of physical contact such as being hugged or touched, etc.), repetitive behaviors or movements, and resistance to change. Basic skills Skills in subjects like reading, writing, spelling, and mathematics. Behavior Assessment Plan After a child’s behavior as been assessed, the plan of action for discipline, placement, services, etc. (BAP) Behavior Assessment System for Children Rated-scale measurement system used to observe the emotional behavior of children; (often used in IEP meetings.) (BASC) Behavior Disordered Disability characteristic where students are emotionally disturbed or socially maladjusted. (BD) Behavior intervention plan A plan of positive behavioral interventions in the IEP of a child whose behaviors interfere with his/her learning or that of others. (BIP) Building Level Support Team A team of professionals dedicated to assessing a child’s educational difficulty and planning interventions for it. (BLST) Business day Means Monday through Friday, except for federal and state holidays. Cerebral Palsy Is a term used to describe a group of chronic conditions affecting body movements and muscle coordination. It is caused by damage to one or more specific areas of the brain, usually occurring during fetal development, or during infancy. It can also occur before, during or shortly following birth. "Cerebral" refers to the brain and "Palsy" to a disorder of movement or posture. If someone has cerebral palsy it means that because of an injury to their brain (cerebral) they are not able to use some of the muscles in their body in the normal way (palsy). Children with cerebral palsy may not be able to walk, talk, eat or play in the same ways as most other children. Child with a disability A child between the ages of 3-21 with a physical, emotional, learning or cognitive disability, which has an adverse effect on the child’s ability to learn. Cognitively Impaired A child is classified as “cognitively impaired” if his/her cognitive functioning and adaptive behavior skills are well below that of other children who are the same age. A child with below average cognitive functioning typically has difficulty learning (problems with perception, memory and judgment), difficulty interpreting information and solving problems, and below average IQ (intelligence quotient) scores. A child with below average adaptive behavior skills typically has problems taking care of age-appropriate daily needs (such as tying one’s shoelaces, making one’s bed, crossing the street appropriately, etc.) and has difficulty adjusting at home, in school and in the community. Cognitive impairment is divided into three categories: Mild (functioning is mildly below age expectations), Moderate (functioning is moderately below age expectations) and Severe (functioning is severely below age expectations). Communication impaired A child who is “communication impaired” has problems with language in the areas of morphology (the structure and form of words), syntax (sentence structure-- how you put a sentence together), semantics (the text/content of a message-- the meaning of what you say) and/or pragmatics/discourse (unwritten rules of speech, such as maintaining eye contact, not interrupting, knowing when it is appropriate to laugh). For a child to be classified as “communication impaired,” the “communication impairment” must not result primarily from an “auditory impairment” (hearing problems). In addition, the child’s difficulty communicating must have a harmful effect on the child’s educational performance. Consent Requirement that the parent be fully informed of all information that relates to any action that school wants to take about the child, that parent understands that consent is voluntary and may be revoked at any time. See also Procedural safeguards notice and prior written notice. Counseling services Related service; includes services provided by social workers, psychologists, guidance counselors, or other qualified personnel. Cumulative file General file maintained by the school; parent has right to inspect the file and have copies of any information contained in it. Day Means calendar day unless otherwise indicated as school day or business day. Deaf/Blindness A child classified as “deaf/blind” has both hearing and visual impairments, which together cause such severe educational problems that the child cannot be educated in a program solely for students with deafness or blindness. Deafness IDEA disability category; impairment in processing information through hearing that adversely affects educational performance. Down Syndrome A genetic disorder that is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome, which results in varying degrees of physical and mental abnormality. Those who are affected with the syndrome display a wide variety in mental, behavior and developmental capabilities, and will have a high propensity to suffer from common health problems, include a low resistance to infection, pronounced hearing loss, gastrointestinal problems, and heart defects. Down syndrome is usually caused by an error in cell division called non-disjunction. There are also two other types of chromosomal abnormalities (mosaicism and translocation) that to a lesser extent are also implicated as possible causes of Down syndrome. Regardless of the type of Down syndrome which a person may have, all people with Down syndrome have an extra, critical portion of the number 21 chromosome present in all or some of their cells. The presence of this additional genetic material alters the normal course of development, which results in the development of the characteristics that are normally associated with the syndrome. Disability In Section 504 and ADA, defined as impairment that substantially affects one or more major life activities; an individual who has a record of having such impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment. Shall mean one or more of the following impairments- Autism Developmental delay Intellectual Impairment Sensory Impairments: Hearing, Vision, Deaf-Blind Neurological Impairment Emotional Impairment Communication Impairment Physical Impairment Health Impairment Specific Learning Disability Dyscalculia Causes people to have problems doing arithmetic and grasping mathematical concepts. While many people have problems with math, a person with dyscalculia has a much more difficult time solving basic math problems than his or her peers. Dysgraphia A writing disorder that causes people to have difficulty forming letters or writing within a defined space. People with this disorder need extra time and effort to write neatly. Despite their efforts, their handwriting may be almost illegible. Dyslexia A specific and severe form of a learning disability. It is a reading disability typified by problems in expressive or receptive, oral or written language. Problems may emerge in reading, spelling, writing, speaking, or listening. (People with dyslexia often show talent in areas that require visual, spatial, and motor integration.) Dyspraxia Problems with new motor skills and activities. They are often viewed as clumsy and awkward. Is a problem with the body's system of motion that interferes with a person's ability to make a controlled or coordinated physical response in a given situation. Some behaviors that can be observed are: very poor fine motor skills such as handwriting, very poor gross motor skills such as kicking, catching, throwing balls, difficulty imitating movements such as "Simon Says", trouble with balance, sequences of movements and bilateral coordination. Early intervention (EI) Special education and related services provided to children under age of 5. Educable Mentally Retarded Educable (or "educable mentally retarded") refers to MR students with IQs of approximately 50-75 who can progress academically to a late elementary level. Trainable (or "trainable mentally retarded") refers to students whose IQs fall below 50 but who are still capable of learning personal hygiene and other living skills in a sheltered setting, such as a group home. In many areas, these terms have fallen out of favor in favor of "severe" and "moderate" mental retardation. Educational consultant/diagnostician An individual who may be familiar with school curriculum and requirements at various grade levels: may or may not have a background in learning disabilities; may conduct educational evaluations. Education records All records about the student that are maintained by an educational agency or institution; includes instructional materials, teacher’s manuals, films, tapes, test materials and protocols. Emotionally Disturbed A child classified as “emotionally disturbed” shows one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree, which harmfully affects the child’s educational performance: a) The child has difficulty learning that cannot be explained by intellectual factors, health reasons or sensory problems; b) The child is unable to start or maintain normal friendships and relationships with peers and teachers; c) The child displays inappropriate types of behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances; d) The child displays a general mood of unhappiness or depression; or e) The child develops physical symptoms or fears that are linked to personal or school problems. Evaluations Evaluations conducted by the school personnel can include questionnaires, checklists, cognitive testing batteries, academic achievement testing, psychological batteries, and a variety of diagnostic tests of language, motor skills, perception, memory, and processing. Extended School Year (ESY) Based on the 7 eligible factors 1.    Regression- whether child reverts to a lower level of functioning as evidenced by a measurable decrease in skills or behaviors that occurs as a result of an interruption in educational programming. 2.    Recoupment – whether child has the capacity to recover the skills or behavior patterns in which regression occurred to a level demonstrated prior to the interruption of educational programming. 3.    Whether child’s difficulties with regression and recoupment make it unlikely that the child will maintain the skills and behaviors relevant to IEP goals and objectives. 4.    The extent to which child has mastered and consolidated an important skill or behavior at the point when educational programming would be interrupted. 5.    The extent to which a skill or behavior is particularly crucial for the child to meet the IEP goals of self-sufficiency and independence from caretakers. 6.    The extent to which successive interruptions in educational programming result in the child’s withdrawal from the learning process. 7.    Whether the child’s disability is severe, such as autism/pervasive developmental disorder, serious emotional disturbance, severe mental retardation, degenerative impairments with mental involvement and severe multiple disabilities. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Federal law that protects students’ privacy in the educational setting.  FERPA not only applies to teachers and staff in the educational setting, but of those who volunteer in the educational setting.  Confidentiality is of utmost importance. (FERPA) Free and Appropriate Public Education Special education and related services that (1) are available to the student at public expense, under public supervision and directions, and without charge; (2) meet the state educational standards (frameworks): (3) include an appropriate education in the state involved; and (4) conform with the student’s IEP. (FAPE) Functional Behavior Analysis First an assessment to better understand a child’s behavior, then systematically determining the driving forces behind that behavior. (FBA) Functional Skills “Functional Skills” means skills to increase performance and independence at work, in school, in the home, in the community, for leisure time, and for post secondary and other life long learning opportunities. Functional Skills Assessment “Functional Skills Assessment” means the use of test instruments and assessment procedures to determine current levels of skill development and factors relevant to: a) Independence and self-sufficiency in school, home and community settings; b) Freedom to participate in leisure activities; and c) Post secondary and other life long learning opportunities. Hearing Impaired Any degree of hearing loss that interferes with development or adversely affects educational performance in a regular classroom setting. Disability category under IDEA;  (HI) Inclusion Inclusion is a philosophical belief that all children with special needs are entitled to be educated with their non-disabled peers in the least restrictive environment possible. To the maximum extent possible, all students participate in the general education program, with specialized instruction occurring in the classroom. Independent Educational EvaluationAssessment of your child’s needs for a IEP by another professional not employed by the same school district that formed the original evaluation. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Federal law that provides assistance to States for Education of Children with Disabilities and the Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities. IDEA is closely aligned to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), helping to ensure equity, accountability and excellence in education for children with disabilities. (IDEA) Individualized Educational Program The document explaining the special needs and services of the disabled child and how they will be administered. (IEP) Learning Center The space within the school where students receive “pull-out” services from the special education staff. Learning Disability A person with this disability exhibits unexpected discrepancy between potential and actual achievement. Performs poorly because of difficulty in one or more of the following areas: listening, speaking, reading, written expression, mathematics, and reasoning. Has an average to above average intelligence. Learning Specialist Special Education teachers certified in special education. They are skilled in helping students to develop strategies to enhance the learning of curriculum, assisting classroom teachers to make accommodations or modifications in the curriculum, and are able to assist your child’s growth within the classroom. Least Restrictive Environment The school district shall ensure that, to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities are educated with children who do not have disabilities, and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with special needs from the general education program occurs only if the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in general education classes with the use of supplementary aides and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. (LRE) Mainstreaming Practice of placing special needs children in regular classrooms for at least a part of the children’s educational program. See also least restrictive environment and inclusion. Manifestation determination review If child with disability engages in behavior or breaks a rule or code of conduct that applies to nondisabled children and the school proposes to remove the child, the school must hold a hearing to determine if the child’s behavior was caused by the disability. Mediation Procedural safeguard to resolve disputes between parents and schools; must be voluntary, cannot be used to deny or delay right to a due process hearing; must be conducted by a qualified and impartial mediator who is trained in effective mediation techniques. Medical services Related service; includes services provided by a licensed physician to determine a child’s medically related disability that results in the child’s need for special education and related services. Mental retardation Is characterized by subaverage cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors with onset before the age of 18. Once focused almost entirely on cognition, the definition now includes both a component relating to mental functioning and one relating to the individual's functional skills in their environment. Disability category under IDEA; (MR) Modification A change in test or course presentation, location, student response, time requirements or other attributes which is necessary to ensure access for a student with disabilities to participate and which does fundamentally alter or lower the standard or expectations (and invalidates the test). E.g. different reading levels for the same lesson, homework changed from problem solving math activities to computation. Multiple disabilities Disability category under IDEA; concomitant impairments (such as mental retardation-blindness, mental retardation-orthopedic impairment, etc.) that cause such severe educational problems that problems cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the impairments; does not include deaf-blindness. Native language Language normally used by the child’s parents. Occupational Therapist Occupational Therapies help with handwriting issues, and sensory experiences including touch, movement, body awareness, sight, sound, and the pull of gravity. Occupational Therapy Activities focusing on fine motor skills, visual motor integration, visual processing, visual memory, visual perceptual abilities that assist in improving physical, and social development and sensory integration (SI).  An occupational therapist will work with children to improve their small motor functions, such as writing, cutting, typing. Occupational therapists also work with children who need improvements in their sensory integration function. Occupational Therapy is a related service.  (OT) Oppositional Defiant Disorder A psychiatric disorder that is characterized by aggressiveness and a tendency to purposefully bother and irritate other students, teachers, peers, etc. (ODD) Orientation and mobility services Related service; includes services to visually impaired students that enable students to move safely at home, school, and community Orthopedically Impaired A child who is classified as “orthopedically impaired” has severe problems with his/her bones, muscles, joints, ligaments and/or tissue, and the problems have a harmful effect on the child’s educational performance. Orthopedic impairments include malformation or malfunction of bones, muscles or tissue. Other Health Impaired A child may be classified as “other health impaired” if the child has a chronic (long-term) or acute (severe) illness or health problem that harmfully affects his/her educational performance. A child with a heart condition, tuberculosis, rheumatic fever, asthma, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, epilepsy, lead poisoning, leukemia, attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or diabetes may be classified as other health impaired if the child’s health problems have a negative effect on his/her schooling. The condition must be documented by a doctor. (OHI) Parent Parent, guardian, or surrogate parent; may include grandparent or stepparent with whom a child lives, and foster parent. Pervasive Developmental Disorder A neurological disorder that affects a child’s ability to communicate, understand language, play, and relate to others. (PDD) Phonemes Are letter or letter combination of sounds. Phonemic Awareness The explicit awareness of the individual phonemes (sounds) and the manipulation of these sounds. It involves such task as rhyming, segmenting sounds, blending sounds, and manipulating sounds (deleting and substituting sounds). It's metalinguistic. Children learn how to think about the sound structure of language and are given strategies to both process and manipulate the sound structure in order to learn to read and spell. Phonological Awareness Involves the explicit awareness of sound structure of language at the word, syllable and sound levels, and the ability to manipulate (segment, blend, play with) that sound structure. Physical Therapy   A health profession devoted to improving one's physical abilities through activities that strengthen muscular control and motor coordination. Physical therapists will also provide recommendations for mobility aides, such as wheelchairs; or special seating.  Physical therapy is a related service. (PT) Prior written notice Required written notice to parents when school proposes to initiate or change, or refuses to initiate or change, the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of the child. Procedural safeguards notice Requirement that schools provide full easily understood explanation of procedural safeguards that describe parent’s right to an independent educational evaluation, to examine records, to request mediation and due process. Processing Disability Describes problems people have in understanding or remembering words or sounds because their brains fail to understand language correctly. This can often be mistaken by parents and doctors as a hearing problem but, in fact, an individual with this disability is not able to process or memorize information (Auditory Processing or Memory Processing). Psychological services Related service; includes administering psychological and educational tests, interpreting test results, interpreting child behavior related to learning. Reasonable accommodation Adoption of a facility or program that can be accomplished without undue administrative or financial burden. Recreation Related service; includes therapeutic recreation services, recreation programs, and leisure education. Regular Class with Supplementary Aids This means that a child is placed in a regular education classroom with non-disabled students, but the child receives some additional help. “Supplementary aids” include: a) Changes to the material that is taught (the curriculum) or the way the teacher teaches (the use of special teaching methods) to better suit the child with the disability and help him/her learn; b) Additional instruction (i.e. after school tutoring); c) Assistive technology devices and services, which are any items or pieces of equipment that increase, maintain or improve the disabled child’s ability to function (i.e. eyeglasses, hearing aids, talking computers); d) Instructional or teacher aides; and e) Related services, which are supportive services that help a student with a disability to benefit from special education (i.e. transportation, speech/language therapy, counseling, physical therapy, occupational therapy, etc.). Related services Services that are necessary for child to benefit from special education; includes speech-language pathology and audiology services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, early identification and assessment, counseling, rehabilitation counseling, orientation and mobility services, school health services, social work services, parent counseling and training. Remediation Process by which an individual receives instruction and practice in skills that are weak or nonexistent in an effort to develop/strengthen these skills. Rhett Syndrome An inherited developmental disorder observed only in females that is characterized by a short period of normal development, followed by loss of developmental skills (particularly purposeful hand movements) and marked psychomotor retardation. A brief autistic-like phase may be observed during the preschool period, but the subsequent course and clinical features are markedly different from autism. School day A day when children attend school for instructional purposes. School health services Related service; services provided by a qualified school nurse or other qualified person. Section 504 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination due to disability by recipients of federal financial assistance. Sensory Integration (SI) Sensory Integration develops in the course of ordinary childhood activities. Motor planning ability is a natural outcome of the process, as is the ability to adapt to incoming sensations. But for some children, sensory integration does not develop as efficiently as it should. When the process is disordered, a number of problems in learning, development, or behavior may become evident. Sensory Integration Dysfunction (DSI) Is a problem in processing sensations which causes difficulties in daily life. It is a neurological disorder, manifested by difficulty detecting, modulating, discriminating or integrating sensation adaptively. Children with this issue can be seen two ways, either process sensation from the environment or from their bodies in an inaccurate way, resulting in "sensory seeking" or "sensory avoiding" patterns or 'dyspraxia," a motor planning problem. Seriously Emotionally Disturbed See ED above, emotional disturbance at a greater level with proven diagnosis of one or more of the following: Schizophrenia Schizo-affective Disorder Bipolar Disorder Major Depression Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Panic Disorder Eating Disorders (Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa) Autism or Pervasive Developmental Disorder Serious Emotional Disturbance in children and adolescents Social Maladjustment A child may be classified with “social maladjustment” when the child is consistently unable to behave properly in school. The child’s misbehavior must be very disruptive to the child’s own education and the education of other students. The behavior will be considered “social maladjustment” only if it is not due to an “emotional disturbance” (defined above). Special education Specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability. Specialized Instruction Different materials and different outcome objectives. Level of materials used is significantly different than those used by students in general education. May include highly intensive instruction using teaching practices not commonly used in general education. E.g. specialized intensive reading programs designed for a specific student based upon learning profile information. Specific Learning Disability A child may be classified as having a “specific learning disability” if s/he has difficulty with understanding or using either spoken or written language. Having a “learning disability” can make it difficult for a child to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, and/or do math. Some examples of “specific learning disabilities” are dyslexia (inability to match letters with their sounds causing an inability to read), developmental aphasia (total or partial loss of the ability to use or understand words) agraphia (total or partial loss of the ability to write) and poor visual-motor integration (hand-eye coordination). A child may be classified as having a “specific learning disability” when the child’s intellectual potential is much greater than the actual work the child does in the following areas: basic reading skills, reading comprehension, oral expression, listening comprehension, mathematical computation, mathematical reasoning, and written expression. A child is not classified with a “specific learning disability” where the child’s impairment is caused by other disabilities defined in this section, such as visual or hearing impairments. This classification also does not apply to children achieving below their potential because of economic, social, or cultural disadvantage. Speech Impaired A communication impairment that disrupts communication or affects emotional, social, intellectual or educational growth. (SI) Speech and Language Therapy Treatment to help a student develop or improve articulation, communication skills, and oral-motor skills. Speech and Language Therapy is a related service. Speech or language impairment Disability category under IDEA; includes communication disorders, language impairments, voice impairments that adversely educational performance. Standardized test Norm-referenced test that compares child’s performance with the performance of a large group of similar children (usually children who are the same age). Supplementary aids and services Means aids, services, and supports that are provided in regular education classes that enable children with disabilities to be educated with nondisabled children to the maximum extent appropriate. Team or IEP Team Individual Education Plan Team is a group of people that include school staff, parents, and others that either the school staff or parents choose to include, who have knowledge about the child. Transition services IEP requirement; designed to facilitate movement from school to the workplace or to higher education. Transportation Related service about travel; includes specialized equipment (i.e., special or adapted buses, lifts, and ramps) if required to provide special transportation for a child with a disability. Traumatic Brain Injury A child with “traumatic brain injury” has had an injury to the brain resulting in partial or total brain dysfunction, psychosocial impairment (problems with psychological, emotional, interpersonal or social functioning) or both. The classification applies to children who have suffered open or closed head injuries, resulting in difficulties in cognition, language, memory, attention, ability to reason, abstract thinking, judgment, problem-solving, sensory, awareness and motor abilities, psychosocial behavior, physical functions, information processing and/or speech. Visually Impaired A child classified as “visually impaired” has a problem with his/her vision that continues even with correction (i.e. glasses, contact lenses) and the “visual impairment” has a harmful effect on the child’s schoolwork and safety. “Visual impairment” includes both partial sight and blindness. 504 Plan Students who qualify for a Section 504 plan have a disability that limits a major life activity. A plan designed to accommodate the unique needs of an individual with a disability, as required by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Children who have disabilities, but whose disabilities do not interfere with their ability to progress in general education are not eligible for special education services, may be entitled to a 504 Accommodation Plan. Depending upon the student's individual needs, a school district may be required to provide the following: specialized instruction, modifications to the curriculum, accommodations in non-academic and extra curricular activities, adaptive equipment or assistive technology devices, an aide, assistance with health related needs, school transportation, or other related services and accommodations. Unlike an IEP, the 504 does not require federal timeline standard and is not required to provide progress reports or annual review. If there is concern over the design of a 504, there is not a “stay put,” clause to protect services as there is in an IEP.