Understanding special education can feel overwhelming at first. The good news is that you do not have to learn everything at once. This page explains a few important terms families may hear as their child moves from early childhood services into school-based supports.
Tennessee Early Intervention System, or TEIS, supports infants and young children with developmental delays or disabilities. TEIS services are based on each child’s needs and the family’s priorities and are written into an Individualized Family Service Plan, or IFSP.
An IFSP may include services such as service coordination, developmental therapy, speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, behavior support, assistive technology, and other supports based on the child’s needs. Services often focus on helping caregivers support their child’s development during everyday routines at home, in childcare, and in the community.
Before a child turns 3, TEIS and the local school district help the family plan for next steps. If the child is found eligible for school-based special education services, the family may be able to choose school-based services through an IEP or continue early intervention services through the TEIS Extended Option.
The TEIS Extended Option allows eligible children to continue services through an IFSP after age 3, until the start of the school year following the child’s 5th birthday. This gives families another choice as they think about which setting and services may best support their child.
TNSTEP’s Should I Stay or Should I Go? TEIS Extended Option Decision-Making Guide helps families compare TEIS Extended Option services and school-based services as they decide which path may be the best fit for their child.
An IEP is a formal plan that explains the special education services and supports a school will provide to meet the unique needs of a student with a disability. It includes the student’s strengths and needs, annual goals, services, accommodations, and how progress will be measured.
IEPs provide specially designed instruction. Some IEPs may also include modifications. A modification changes what a student is expected to learn or complete. For example, a student may work on fewer spelling words, a different reading level, or a shorter assignment.
A 504 Plan is a written plan that helps a student with a disability access school, learning, and school activities.
A student with a 504 Plan may not need special education, but they may need supports to remove barriers during the school day. These supports are often called accommodations.
Accommodations help a student access the same learning as other students. They do not change what the student is expected to learn. Examples may include extra time, breaks, preferential seating, access to medication or medical care, help with organization, or changes to the classroom environment.
A Behavior Intervention Plan, or BIP, is a written plan to support a student whose behavior is getting in the way of learning, safety, or participation at school.
A BIP should be based on a Functional Behavioral Assessment, or FBA. An FBA helps the team look at what happens before, during, and after a behavior. It is used to help determine why the behavior may be happening and what the student may be trying to communicate or get away from.
A strong BIP should explain the behavior, teach safer or more appropriate replacement skills, and list the supports adults will use to help the student be successful. It may also include positive reinforcement, ways to track progress, and steps to follow if safety becomes a concern.
The goal of a BIP is to understand the behavior and help the student learn better ways to communicate, participate, and succeed at school.
An ILP-D is a plan for a student who meets Tennessee’s criteria for characteristics of dyslexia.
An ILP-D is not the same as an IEP. It does not mean the student has been found eligible for special education. Instead, it is an intervention plan that explains the student’s reading needs, the dyslexia-specific intervention the school will provide, and classroom supports that may help the student access learning.
Supports may include things like audio or oral reading of text, breaking text or tasks into smaller parts, multisensory learning, pre-teaching vocabulary, spelling support, and extra fluency practice.
If a disability is suspected, parents can still request a special education evaluation.
RTI² stands for Response to Instruction and Intervention. In Tennessee, RTI² is a general education support system that helps schools notice when students are struggling and provide extra help early.
RTI² is not special education. It is a way for schools to provide different levels, or tiers, of support in areas like reading, math, writing, or behavior.
RTI² can help families and school teams see what is working, what is not working, and whether a student may need more support. However, RTI² should not be used to delay or deny a special education evaluation if a disability is suspected.
If you are worried your child may have a disability, you have the right to request a special education evaluation in writing.
In Tennessee, a student may be found eligible for special education under one or more eligibility categories.
A medical diagnosis alone does not automatically mean a student qualifies for special education. The team must review evaluation results and determine whether the student meets Tennessee’s eligibility standards and needs special education services to make progress at school.
Federal special education eligibility categories include:
For information on how to request an evaluation for your child, check out our TN SPECIAL EDUCATION ELIGIBILITY FACT SHEET →
Two important federal laws help protect students with disabilities at school: the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
FAPE stands for Free Appropriate Public Education. This means eligible students with disabilities have the right to receive the services and supports they need at school at no cost to the family.
IDEA is the special education law. It helps make sure eligible children with disabilities receive FAPE through special education and related services, usually through an IEP.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is a civil rights law. It helps protect students with disabilities from discrimination and helps make sure they can access learning, school programs, and activities. Students supported under Section 504 may receive a 504 Plan.
The main difference is the type of support a student needs. A student with an IEP needs specially designed instruction because of a disability. A student with a 504 Plan may not need special education, but they do need supports that remove barriers and help them access school. Both plans are designed to help students with disabilities learn, participate, and be supported at school.
