NISD Parental Requirements
For Students Receiving Special Needs Transportation
As a Related Service

"Dear Parents of Students Riding NISD Special Needs Buses:

The Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) committee has determined, with you as the parent, that your child requires special needs bus service. This service is provided as a related service under Title 34 CFR 300.16. Your child's eligibility for special needs bus service was outlined for you in the ARD committee. The campus Special Education Coordinator can further explain your child's transportation service privileges and responsibilities. Please contact your respective campus coordinator if there are any further questions about special needs bus service.

As Parents you should:

1. Attend your child's ARD committee meetings and the Annual Reviews. State the need for your child's special needs bus service or special handling so these issues can be considered by the ARD committee. The ARD committee, through the campus special education coordinator, will notify the Transportation Department in a timely manner to schedule your child's bus service.
   
   
2. Please notify the Special Needs Routing Office (397-0870) when your child will not ride the bus for several days each time your child will miss his or her AM or PM run.
   
   
3. Please notify your school principal or the campus special education coordinator before you change ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER or make other CHILD CARE arrangements for pick-up or drop-off service.
   
   NOTE: When bus service changes are received by the Special Needs Routing Office they are usually implemented WITHIN THREE (3) FULL SCHOOL DAYS AFTER NOTIFICATION FROM YOUR SCHOOL. A Change of Pick Up or Drop Off Times notification will be provided you concerning any route changes.
   
   
4. CHOOSE day care, child care or alternate pickup or drop off SITES WITHIN YOUR HOME SCHOOL'S ATTENDANCE AREA to avoid lengthy riding time on the bus. Pick-up or drop-off sites convenient to your worksite may not be authorized if not within your child's home school's attendance area. Multiple pickup or drop off sites are subject to ARD committee approval.

Parent's Responsibility At Pickup Time:

1. Have your child fully clothed, toileted and ready at the bus stop five (5) to ten (10) minutes before the pick-up time. The special needs bus will wait at the curb for two (2) minutes. The bus must leave if your child is not approaching and boarding. The bus will not wait for students not prepared for the bus ride. Ensure that a responsible person is ready at home at the student pickup time.
   
   
2. Accompany your child to the curb where the Bus Assistant can greet your student outside the bus before boarding.
   
   
3. FAILURE TO RIDE FOR THREE (3) CONSECUTIVE DAYS will result in termination of bus service until Special Needs Routing (at 397-0870) discusses how to reinstate bus service.

Parent's Responsibilities At Drop-Off:

1. Be at home at least five (5) minutes before the scheduled drop off time for your child.
   
2. Meet your child at the curb so that the Driver or Assistant can transfer the child's custody and responsibility to you.
   
3. Complete a Release Authorization Form that shows who is authorized to accept your child from the school bus team. NO OTHER PERSON WILL BE ACCEPTED TO RECEIVE YOUR CHILD WITHOUT YOUR AUTHORIZATION. Your Driver Team will provide a copy of the form for you to complete or to change whenever you need to make changes for the people who are authorized to receive your child.
4. Serious incidents on the bus concerning your child, minor injuries, slips, trips and falls on the bus or other events requiring review by the school nurse are written up using a Bus Incident Report Form. You will be provided a copy of that form by the Station Manager on request only when your child is involved.
   
5. WHEN NO ONE MEETS YOUR CHILD the Driver will continue the route until all others have been delivered. Then the bus will return to your home to attempt a second delivery. If no authorized person is at home, A Notice Of Non-Delivery Form is left to inform you that your child has been taken to the NISD Police Office (5916 Grissom- 397-5600). NISD Police will transfer your child to the Child Protective Services if no parent can be reached. The bus DOES NOT DROP OFF YOUR CHILD AT A WORKSITE. Delivery is only to the home or to the care giver in the attendance area. If the drop-off is at a day care center or preschool, please arrange to have a responsible person at the facility ready to accept your child when the Bus Assistant brings the child into the Day Care Center lobby or picks the child up from the lobby.

Your Child's Bus Behavior:

• Be on time for bus service.
  
• Fasten your seat belt and keep it on.
  
• Remain seated when the bus is moving.
  
• No eating or drinking.
  
• No fighting or loud arguments.
  
• Be quiet.
  
• Listen to ALL instructions from the Driver or the Assistant.

How will STUDENT BUS DISCIPLINE problems be handled?

1. Bus behavior problems are reported to the campus administrator by the special needs Driver or Assistant the same day as they occur using the Bus Safety Report form.
   
   
2. Each campus's Student Parent Handbook describes how Bus Safety Reports are handled regarding your child's bus behavior. The principal or designee determines student disciplinary action. Options may include: DETENTION, SUSPENSION FROM SCHOOL OR SUSPENSION OF BUS RIDING PRIVILEGES. Conferences will be held with you to discuss or review behavioral issues and consequences. A student behavior management plan may be written from this conference.
   
   
3. The Special Education Transportation Coordinator (397-0876) may recommend to the ARD committee to TERMINATE BUS SERVICE or to offer a PRIVATE CONTRACT in place of providing your child with school district transportation.

Confused About Special Education Acronyms? Scroll Down To the List of Acronyms Explained At The End of This Page, please.

NISD Campus Special Education Coordinators

Contact School Special Education Campus Coordinators .concerning Special Needs Transportation.

NISD Special Education Program Administrators Index

Dr Barry Dewlen, Director of Psychological Services 397-3508

Denette Krawqcynski Director of Elementary Special Education 397-8742

Don Moecker, Director of Secondary Special Education 397-8754

Don Schmidt, Assistant Superintendent Student Services 397-8763

Special Education Acronyms

ADD Attention Deficit Disorder "ADD in students is their inability to concentrate (short attention span) or not being able to focus on what is important (mental foreground) as opposed to what is not important (mental background). Unable to control their impulses ADD students they may unfasten their lap belts, stand up and move on the bus during the route. Others with ADD endlessly shout, use bad language, or make socially inappropriate statements. Bus rules and behavioral consequences apply for their ADD behavior, as would any other student passenger with or without disabilities."

ADHD Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder "Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common behavior disorder diagnosed in children and teens. ADHD refers to a group of symptoms that begin in early childhood and can continue into adulthood, causing difficulties at home, at school, at work, and within the community if not recognized and treated. Tthree groups of ADHD symptoms are: Inattention. This is the most common symptom. In addition to having difficulty paying attention, people with this ADHD symptom often are unable to consistently focus, remember, and organize. They may be careless and have a hard time starting and completing tasks that are boring, repetitive, or challenging.
Impulsiveness. People who frequently act before thinking may not make sound judgments or solve problems well. They may also have trouble developing and maintaining personal relationships. An adult may not keep the same job for long or spend money wisely.
Hyperactivity. A hyperactive child may squirm, fidget, and climb or run when it is not appropriate. These children often have difficulty playing with others. They may talk a great deal and not be able to sit still for even a short time. Teenagers and adults who are hyperactive don't usually have the more obvious physical behaviors seen in children. Rather, they often feel restless and fidgety, and are not able to enjoy reading or other quiet activities.
Symptoms vary by individual and range from mild to severe.

AEP Alternative Educational Program

AI Auditory Impairment

ALE Applied Learning Environment (Program) "The ALE program serves students with moderate to severe disabilities and stresses functional skills in the community, recreation-leisure, vocational and family domains. The program's goal is full integration into the activities of the student's age-appropriate attendance area school and community."

AMC Academic Mastery Center 'AMC provides a continuum of services , and the LRE may include specialized instruction in a regular classroom. The AMC teacher provides support for students and teachers in the following ways: small group instruction within the regular classroom, consultation with the regular teacher and/or assistance with modification in the regular curriculum. Interventions are designed to implement the students Individualized Education Plan (IEP)."

ANNUAL REVIEW "The child’s progress toward the annual goals is measured, as stated in the IEP. His or her parents are regularly informed of their child’s progress and whether that progress is enough for the child to achieve the goals by the end of the year. These progress reports must be given to parents at least as often as parents are informed of their nondisabled children’s progress. The child’s IEP is reviewed by the IEP team at least once a year, or more often if the parents or school ask for a review. If necessary, the IEP is revised. Parents, as team members, must be invited to attend these meetings. Parents can make suggestions for changes, can agree or disagree with the IEP goals, and agree or disagree with the placement. If parents do not agree with the IEP and placement, they may discuss their concerns with other members of the IEP team and try to work out an agreement. There are several options, including additional testing, an independent evaluation, or asking for mediation (if available) or a due process hearing. They may also file a complaint with the state education agency."

APE Adapted Physical Education "Adapted Physical Education is a diversified and systematic program of developmental activities, exercises, games, sports, aquatics and rhythms that are designed in the psychomotor domain. The program is organized and presented in a sequential and developmental manner that is geared to the needs, limitations and abilities of each individual student."

ARD Admissions, Review, and Dismissal "An ARD is an Admission, Review and Dismissal Committee is a meeting of school professionals and parents. It determines if the student is eligible, needs special education, designed as individualized education program (IEP) and determines the best place to implement that program. The ARD takes place at Admission to services, again on an annual basis and upon dismissal on graduation. Present at the ARD are parents, the student, if appropriate, the regular education teacher, a special education teacher and a representative of the district familiar with services. Others who may attend include therapists, evaluation experts and other persons familiar with the child."

ASL American Sign Language"ASL learned and used by Driver Teams is helpful to communicate only with those hearing impaired who use or are learning ASL at school. Northside ISD encourages all Special Needs Drivers who transport ASL users to learn basic American Sign Language (ASL). The ASL course and basic skills, however, is a requirement of any Driver Teams who regularly transport a deaf or hearing-impaired child or a student who relies on ASL to communicate."

ATP Assistive Technology Program "The Assistive Technology Program helps students be more independent in their surroundings."

AU Autistic Program "The Northside Autistic Program recognizes the unique needs of students with autism and related disorders. Educational programs are based upon current research and documented effective teaching practices for students with autism."

BIC Behavior Intervention Center"The Behavior Intervention Center is available for all Special Education students who may be having difficulty in class such as being loud and disruptive or uncooperative."

BIP Behavior Intervention Plan A Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) is often written by school building special education personnel for individual autistic students. The ARD committee identifies any successful strategies that work at home or at school that can also be used with misbehaving students on the bus. The Special Education Transportation Coordinator will provide specific guidelines for Driver Teams who are jointly responsible with parents and school personnel to carry out the BIP.

BMC Behavioral Mastery Classroom "The BMC classroom is transitional in nature and is designed to meet the needs of students in crisis, students entering or returning to mainstream campuses from alternative programs or hospital settings, and students with emotional or behavioral stressors who are not succeeding in a less restrictive environment."

CBVT Community-Based Vocational Training "Training sites in the community are utilized to implement Individual Educational Plan (IEP) objectives relating to employment skills."

CGC Child Guidance Center "Child Guidance Center (CGC) provides a small, therapeutic, educational environment. Students receive intensive support and are given opportunities to carry over appropriate behaviors through community-based instruction. This interaction with the community is referred to as the "Heart-to-Heart Program."

CHILD FIND ""Child Find." Each state must identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities in the state who need special education and related services. To do so, Texas conduct "Child Find" activities. A child may be identified by "Child Find," and parents may be asked if the "Child Find" system can evaluate their child. Parents can also call the "Child Find" system and ask that their child be evaluated. Or — Referral or request for evaluation. A school professional may ask that a child be evaluated to see if he or she has a disability. Parents may also contact the child’s teacher or other school professional to ask that their child be evaluated. This request may be verbal or in writing. Parental consent is needed before the child may be evaluated. Evaluation needs to be completed within a reasonable time after the parent gives consent."

CMC Content Mastery Center "CMC is a model that advocates uniting the expertise of regular and special educators to provide the best education possible for students with mild learning differences and at-risk students. The CMC model is proactive, not reactive. The program is about helping students with mild disabilities succeed in general education."

CPI Crisis Prevention Institute "Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® training, was developed during the 1970s by the company's co-founder, whose human service experience and background in kinesics, physiology, and communication contributed to the development of an innovative, holistic system for defusing escalating behavior and safely managing physically aggressive behavior. This combination, understanding effective communication and human physiology during aggressive moments, along with the core philosophy of maintaining care, welfare, safety and security, provided a balance in behavior management that was unique at that time, and that was quickly adapted and successfully applied in a vast array of human service fields." (Courtesy of Crisis Prevention Institute, Inc.)

DSM Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition)

ESY Extended School Year (formerly EYS) "ESY provides classes to students during vacation breaks so that they can continue working on Individual Educational Plan goals and objectives."

FAPE Free and Appropriate Public Education "In Section 300. l (a) under Purposes, IDEA '97 states that Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) must be "designed to meet (students') unique needs and prepare them for employment and independent living." Independent living is defined in a note under the federal regulations as "a philosophy of consumer control, peer support, self-help, self-determination, equal access, and individual and system advocacy, in order to maximize the leadership, empowerment independence and productivity of individuals with disabilities " into the mainstream of American society." A letter from the office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) notes that the addition of "employment and independent living" represents a significant shift in the emphasis of special education to an outcome oriented approach that focuses on better results for children with disabilities rather than on simply ensuring their access to education."

FERPA Family Education Rights and Privacy Act

GOALS Program The Goals Program was created for adolescents who are physically and/or emotionally impaired. The program is meant to provide a safe, nurturing setting for crisis intervention and/or chronic behavioral issues in order to meet the academic needs of the impaired adolescent until such time as she/he can safely and successfully be reintegrated into a least restrictive academic environment.

HI Hearing Impaired Students with Hearing impairment (HI) can have a mild hearing loss or degrees of hearing loss up to being profoundly deaf. Hearing loss is measured in decibels (dB-the intensity or loudness of sounds) from mild hearing loss (27-40 dB) to Moderate loss (41-55 dB) and on to Moderate/Severe loss (56-70 dB). Anyone with a hearing loss greater than 71 dB is considered deaf. Mild Hearing Loss. Students have difficulty in hearing faint speech at a distance. Background noise on the bus often disrupts their marginal hearing when using their hearing aids. Moderate Hearing Loss. These students understand average conversational speech at a distance of three (3) feet. HI students can carry on face-to-face conversation on the bus without difficulty but are unable to understand if the other person turns away. They may miss as much as 50% of any class discussions and nearly 100% of any Driver Team speech or bus directions given them because of bus background noise. Severe To Profound Hearing Loss. These bus students can understand loud conversations from three (3) to five (5) feet away. They frequently misunderstand what is said to them even if it is loud enough to be heard by them. They generally cannot participate in-group discussions or hear face-to-face conversations with the Driver Team on or off the bus. With defective speech the deaf cannot reproduce words clearly enough to be readily understood on the bus. They have serious language deficiencies that make them less able to understand spoken directions.

HO Health Occupantions Health Occupation gives students the opportunity to apply academics through actual "hands-on" work experience with special education students in the classroom who require additional assistance.

John C. Holmgreen Jr./Sr. High School John C. Holmgreen is a comprehensive alternative secondary school for students with emotional disabilities. This program emphasizes short term therapeutic intervention with return to the home school as soon as possible.

HOMEBOUND Homebound provides certified teachers for one-to-one instruction in the student’s home. Lessons and exams are provided by the student’s classroom teacher(s) to ensure that similar content is provided. If student will be on homebound for the entire semester, the homebound teacher will provide the lessons.

IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (PL 101-476)

IEP Individualized Education Program. "Each public school child who receives special education and related services must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Each IEP must be designed for one student and must be a truly individualized document. The IEP creates an opportunity for teachers, parents, school administrators, related services personnel, and students (when appropriate) to work together to improve educational results for children with disabilities. The IEP is the cornerstone of a quality education for each child with a disability. To create an effective IEP, parents, teachers, other school staff--and often the student--must come together to look closely at the student’s unique needs. These individuals pool knowledge, experience and commitment to design an educational program that will help the student be involved in, and progress in, the general curriculum. The IEP guides the delivery of special education supports and services for the student with a disability. Without a doubt, writing--and implementing--an effective IEP requires teamwork."

IEP MEETING "The school system schedules and conducts the IEP meeting. School staff must: (1) contact the participants, including the parents; (2) notify parents early enough to make sure they have an opportunity to attend; (3) schedule the meeting at a time and place agreeable to parents and the school; (4) tell the parents the purpose, time, and location of the meeting;
tell the parents who will be attending; and (5) tell the parents that they may invite people to the meeting who have knowledge or special expertise about the child. The IEP team gathers to talk about the child’s needs and write the student’s IEP. Parents and the student (when appropriate) are part of the team. If the child’s placement is decided by a different group, the parents must be part of that group as well. Before the school system may provide special education and related services to the child for the first time, the parents must give consent. The child begins to receive services as soon as possible after the meeting. If the parents do not agree with the IEP and placement, they may discuss their concerns with other members of the IEP team and try to work out an agreement. If they still disagree, parents can ask for mediation, or the school may offer mediation. Parents may file a complaint with the state education agency and may request a due process hearing, at which time mediation must be available."

ITP Individual Transition Plan " the statute requires that "beginning at age 14, and updated annually, a statement of the transition service needs of the child under the applicable components of the child's IEP that focuses on the child's courses of study (such as participation in advanced placement courses or a vocational education program)" be included. This is called an Individualized Transition Plan (ITP). Further, if the purpose of the ARD is to address transition services needs, then the student must be invited to the ARD. If the student does not attend, the district must take steps to ensure that the student's preferences and interests are considered. The ARD notice must include that the purpose of the meeting is to develop a statement of the transition services needs of the student and that the student is invited. Ensure that a discussion of the courses the student needs in order to achieve career goals are in the ARD. If a current ITP exists, then referencing it in the ARD would suffice. (e.g. appropriately updated annually to focus on courses of study). The ITP must occur before the IEP so that any educationally needed services can appear in the IEP."

JJEAP Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program. "Bexar County has a Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP). The JJAEP has certified special education staff to meet IEP needs. If the JJAEP becomes the appropriate setting because of the student's engaging in expellable behaviors, a special education coordinator will assist the ARD Committee in this process."

LC Local Curriculum "Locally developed classes for students who are unable to participate in grade level TEKS courses. These classes are taught by special education teachers at the middle and high school."

LD Learning Disability "Learning Disabled (LD) students have a math learning disability (dyscalculia), others a reading disability (dyslexia) or a handwriting disability (dysgraphia). Some can have all three or only two of those conditions. Dyslexia reduces the student's ability to listen, think, speak, read, spell or the ability to solve problems. Dyslexic students on your bus may not be able to read your printed rules. Math disabled students (dyscalculia) may not be able to tell time or know when they are early or late for their bus ride. LD students with handwriting disabilities (dysgraphia) do not have to write anything during their bus ride."

Level IV Now referred to Academic Mastery Center (AMC) at elementary or Local Curriculum in secondary "Locally developed classes for students who are unable to participate in grade level TEKS courses. These classes are taught by special education teachers at the middle and high school."

LV Low Vision "Students with Low Vision (LV) have some useful vision but often need adaptations to see and to function on and off the special needs bus effectively. Low vision (LV) students may also be legally blind. A legally blind student is one who, instead of having normal vision (20-20), has (20-200) vision. They also may have severe astigmatism, which causes blurred vision, very limited visual fields (cannot see straight forward--can only see from the edges) or problems with eye muscle control (cannot see from a stable focus to have useful vision). Some students have eyes that do not focus together (crossed eyes or strabismus) or that focus away from each other (wall-eyed or nystagmus)."

MD Multiple Disabilities "Some multiply disabled students are High Functioning which means that may have normal or above normal intellectual abilities but must function in a very challenged body. These students have multiple physical and health problems. They are Children with Special Health Care Needs. As multiply disabled students they may also be Deaf/Blind (Dual Sensory Impaired-DSI) or be deaf or blind or any of a wide mix of other disabilities. They often have limited or no speech to express themselves. Their facial expressions, body language and their gaze can communicate to the Bus Assistant even though they cannot speak. Some high functioning multiply disabled may not be able to voice, signal or indicate their needs, desires or choices to others. Others can communicate using communication boards on their wheelchair.Low Functioning Multiply Disabled Students. These students are also Children with Special Health Care Needs. They lack self-help skills. Some are not able to care for their own physical needs including self-dressing. Others dress them. They require help eating or must be fed by hand. Some are G-Tube fed or are fed by hand or a combination of both. Some students who are low functioning may not have bowel control. They wear diapers. Others have no bladder control. They use catheters. Dressing, eating and other hygiene activities are not done on the special needs bus. These hygiene or personal care activities are done at home in preparation for the bus ride or at school before the bus ride.

Mi Casa Mi Casa provides a safe and secure environment where students who have been unsuccessful in traditional educational settings can become productive members of the community.

MR Mental Retardation "Mild, moderate or severe mental retardation (SMR) are all terms used to describe students who have extremely immature behavior. These students may also be called "Developmentally Disabled (DD)." MR/DD students act better on the bus when Driver Teams maintain the same daily bus routine. Driver Teams should tell each MR/DD student exactly how to act, what to do and when to do it and expect their success every time they ride the bus."

NCC Northside Children’s Center "Northside Children's Center (NCC) is an educational program for the most severely emotionally disturbed elementary-age children. The therapeutic education provided at NCC is an alternative to residential placement."

NHP Northside Habilitation Program "Northside Habilitation Programs (NHP) provides educational programming for students who are multiply disabled and medically fragile."

NICHY National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities

NISD Northside Independent School District

NAEP Northside Elementary Alternative School.

NAHS Northside Alternative HS. "Northside Alternative High School provides a positive but disciplined educational setting for those Northside Secondary students whose disruptive and/or unacceptable behavior at their regular school warrants removal from their home campus."

NAMS Northside Alternative MS North, Northside Alternative MS South. "Northside Alternative Middle School (NAMS) provides a positive yet disciplined educational setting for middle school students whose disruptive and/or unacceptable behavior at their regular school warrants removal from the home campus."

NVTP Northside Vocational Transition Program "Northside Vocational Transition Program (NVTP) emphasizes real work and transition to adulthood. Students 18-22 who have not graduated to a post-secondary program are served through NVTP."

OHI Other Health Impairment "Students with Other Health Impairments (OHI) include those with limited strength, vitality or alertness due to chronic (life-long) or acute (temporary) health problems. OHI students include those with: Asthma, Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, Heart Conditions, Juvenile Diabetes, Lead Poisoning, Leukemia, Medically Fragile, Nephritis, Rheumatic Fever, Sickle Cell Anemia, or Tuberculosis."

OI Orthopedic Impairment "Orthopedic impairment (OI) in students means children with scoliosis, clubfeet, absence or amputation of an arm, a leg or both arms or legs or all limbs. Also included under this disability category are impairments caused by disease such as polio, bone tuberculosis and orthopedic impairments caused by cerebral palsy, amputations and fractures or burns that cause limb contractures."

O & M Orientation and Mobility "Visually impaired students may not be oriented to their present location. When leaving the bus they may not know or be able to see how to get to their destination. Bus Assistants should provide school loading zone mobility orientation for the blind and students with low vision. Assigned seats are a requirement for all special education students on NISD buses. The visually impaired deserve to safely arrive at school or home without tripping, falling or hitting their heads on overhead barriers or objects. They have difficulty negotiating bus aisles, bus steps and the stairwell and other objects in the outside world. The best onboard service for students with visual impairments includes talking to them clearly and specifically by name to help with their mobility orientation on the bus."

OT Occupational Therapy "Occupational therapists working in the school provide an array of services designed to enable students to benefit from the IEP or 504 Plan."

PAC Parent Advisory Committee "The PAC is comprised of parents of students in the special education programs. Some activities organized and supervised by the PAC include: sponsoring a parent conference on current parent-oriented topics, writing a parent handbook, lobbying various legislative or political bodies, acting as liaisons to community agencies or other parents, and other tasks which may be determined by the current committee."

PASS Personal Adjustment Social Skills Program The Personal Adjustment Social Skills Program is designed to encourage each student to strive for personal excellence through building self-esteem, self-confidence, self-worth and contribute as responsible individuals.

PHP Parents Helping Parents

PATH Partnerships Assisting Texans with Handicaps Janice Foreman, Director
Partnerships for Assisting Texans with Handicaps (PATH), 6465 Calder Avenue, Suite 202
Beaumont, TX 77707. (409) 866-4726. (800) 866-4726.

PPCD Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities "The Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities provides early childhood education for disabled students, ages 3-5, in neighborhood schools and some community-based day care centers."

PT Physical Therapy "Physical Therapy provides services to students from a broad continuum of support options. The therapist primarily looks at mobility and positioning issues, as well as gross motor skills."

RDSPD Regional Day School Program for the Deaf "Provides a wide range of service options are available to RDSPD students. Options include itinerant services, and/or interpreters at the student’s home attendance campus, RDSPD classrooms clustered on mainstream campuses, and fully inclusive classrooms with RDSPD teachers co-teaching in general education. Audiological, speech and specialized counseling services are available as well as other related services."

RELATED SERVICES "A child may require any of the following related services in order to benefit from special education. Related services, as listed under IDEA, include (but are not limited to): Audiology services; Counseling services; Early identification and assessment of disabilities in children; Medical services; Occupational therapy; Orientation and mobility services; Parent counseling and training; Physical therapy; Psychological services; Recreation; Rehabilitation counseling services; School health services; Social work services in schools; Speech-language pathology services; and Transportation. If a child needs a particular related service in order to benefit from special education, the related service professional should be involved in developing the IEP. He or she may be invited by the school or parent to join the IEP team as a person "with knowledge or special expertise about the child."

SAPP School Age Parenting Program Official voluntary program for all pregnant and parenting students enrolled in a Northside ISD school.

SDAA State Developed Alternative Assessment

SECTION 504 "Section 504 is an anti-discrimination law passed in 1973. It is not a program and no funding is attached. It simply requires that persons with disabilities must not be discriminated against. All special education students are covered by Section 504. However, some disabled students may not meet the requirements under special education and are simply categorized as disabled under Section 504. Most of these are students with temporary disabilities or those not qualified for special education services. " (See also an informative Section 504 web page.)

SI Speech Impairment "Students with Speech Impairments (SI) include those with severe stuttering, impaired ability to pronounce words or make specific sounds, a very limited vocabulary or a voice impairment which limits or restricts their ability to speak. SLH students include students with severe stuttering or impaired ability to pronounce words or with severe speech defects including cleft palate, malformed mouth, etc. Students may have speech impairments (SI) alone or in combination with other disabilities to be eligible to ride the special needs bus. If the ARD committee determines that a child with a speech impairment (SI) alone is eligible to ride the special needs bus then the ARD Committee will complete a Special Needs Transportation Eligibility Form and require the Transportation Department and the appropriate Driver Team to transport the child.

SLP Speech-Language Program To help students improve their speech and/or language skills. To assist students in becoming more successful in school by improving their listening and speaking skills.

SMR Severely Mentally Retarded Students. "These students may not be able to speak or effectively use language in their daily lives. They often have multiple disabilities. As low functioning students SMRs have extremely limited mental abilities as well as multiple physical and speech problems. They use a very small number of spoken words (10-20 words) that they can recognize or repeat to the Driver Team. Any interactions with the student by the Driver Team requires the adult to physically direct the child to the seat and secure the student's lap belt without telling the student to "follow me" or "belt yourself in."

SPED Special Education. "The term "special education" means specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability. A child with a disability is defined in the law to be one with mental retardation, hearing impairments (including deafness), hearing impairments, visual impairments (including blindness), emotional disturbance, orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments or specific learning disabilities, and needs special education."

Special Olympics This program in Northside ISD currently serves over 1,000 students, ages 6-22. These students are located on different campuses. Our 6-7 year olds participate in a program called "athletes in training" while students 8-22 participate in the regular Special Olympics program. In addition to the "regular" Special Olympics program, we also offer a program called "Motor Activities" which provides activities for our severe and profound population.

TAAS Texas Assessment of Academic Skills

TAKS Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. "The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS™) is a completely reconceived testing program. It includes more of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) than the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS™) did and attempts to ask questions in more authentic ways. TAKS™ has been developed to better reflect good instructional practice and more accurately measure student learning. We hope that every teacher will be able to see the connection between what we will test on this new state assessment and what our students should know and be able to do to be academically successful." (Adopted from "TAKS™ Information Booklet).

TASP Texas Academic Skills Program "The Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP®) is an instructional program designed to ensure that students attending public institutions of higher learning in Texas and students entering educator preparation programs in Texas have the academic skills necessary to perform effectively in college-level work. Students not yet proficient in an academic area are required to participate in developmental education activities. The TASP includes a testing component designed to provide information about the reading, mathematics, and writing skills of students entering public colleges, universities, and educator preparation programs in public and private institutions."

TBI Traumatic Brain Injury "A student with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one who has received an injury to the brain. TBI includes children who have received open or closed head injuries that have affected their intelligence, language, memory, attention, their ability to solve problems in daily life, or to walk, talk or move their body now when they could previously move in a normal way before the traumatic brain injury (TBI). Some students have a sense of loss and are depressed. Others have"blanked out" the traumatic experience and cannot remember their previous levels of functioning.

TEA Texas Education Agency

TEACCH Treatment and Education of Autistic Children with Communication Handicaps

TEKS Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

TRC Texas Rehabilitation Commission

VI Visually Impaired Program "Prepares students who are visually impaired for their roles as independently functioning, productive members of society."

VNS Vagus Nerve Stimulation A more recent treatment for severe seizures is called the Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS). Seizures are caused by electrical events in the brain. They happen when there's a brief disturbance in the way the brain's electrical system works. Vagus nerve stimulation uses regular pulses of electrical energy to prevent or interrupt these electrical disturbances in the brain. The electrical signals to the vagus nerve come from a thin, round pulse generator, or battery, about the size of a pocket watch. The device is usually implanted under the skin on the upper left side of the chest A flexible, insulated plastic tube containing electrodes runs under the skin from the little generator and connects to the left vagus nerve on the left side of the neck. Students use the magnet in this way when they sense a seizure is about to happen. Not everyone with a VNS implant has a warning before a seizure begins. However, the parents or the Physical Therapist can also show Driver Teams how to pass the magnet over the implant when that person has a seizure.