When introduced to the whirlwind of raising children with additional needs, parents often have to learn a different language to keep up. This language has an array of letters to help identify their neurodivergence – ASD, ADHD, ODD, OHI, CP, etc. Before having children, military life and our spouses formally introduce us to military jargon and an ever-expanding dictionary of acronyms. We encounter these languages within the vacuums of our lives – languages that our civilian friends can’t translate, and those with unaffected children rarely need to take the time to consider or learn.
But what about the language in special education? How do we learn the acronyms and regulations within our children’s education realm? And how does that language travel with our children throughout their educational careers?
In medicine (and the military), experts set these acronyms in stone, backing them up with diagnostic manuals, standard operating procedures, and regulations that define them.When we venture into the world of special education, this is still somewhat true. Laws define acronyms like IDEA, LRE, and FAPE. But what happens when districts become involved and begin inserting their own language into our child’s education program? And how does that affect a military child’s continuity of education after a Permanent Change of Station (PCS)?
Districts Enacting Specific Language
Beginning in the 2022/23 school year, Fort Campbell DoDEA schools started conducting special education compliance monitoring and self-assessments. Within this process, we identified several Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) that use what they consider “incorrect verbiage” such as ‘1:1,’ ‘one-to-one aide,’ or ‘continuous one-to-one adult support.’ Instead, administrators are attempting to replace each IEP’s plain language reference with the term “Supplemental Instructional Support (SIS)” in its place.
According to DoDEA, they do not have a stand-alone policy defining a SIS. Instead, the Department of Defense Companion Manual (DoDM) 1342.12 references this term. While the manual does not define what exactly SIS entails, local district leadership defines it as follows: “Supplemental Instructional Support can be provided by any adult that is working with the student(s) and providing ‘instructional support.’”
Being Our Child’s Best Advocate – Trusting Our Intuition
Call it a gut feeling, but something did not sit right with me.
When my child’s IEP meeting took place in December 2022, I asked questions regarding the attempted change of this seemingly minor language swap. When I received genuine answers to my questions and still felt uneasy, I requested that we table the conversation to a future meeting because, ultimately, I was trying to determine how this change might affect my son in the future. Why, without data, or even a DoDM definition, would the district suddenly want to change language in every student’s IEP that utilizes this so-called “incorrect” verbiage?
Defining Supplemental Instructional Support
I asked friends working in other districts across the country what their definition of a SIS would be and their answers were shocking. It was abundantly clear in our conversations that this arbitrary language change at the hands of DoDEA would significantly alter the services a military-connected special education student would receive upon moving to a new duty station.
A Special Education teacher in a public school district in Washington stated, “We use the term ‘paraprofessional’ or ‘paraeducator.’ SIS would mean something totally different in other states. I would not give a student a para in Washington if they moved with that (in their IEP).” A former principal in Nevada agreed, stating, “They want to write it loose so they can do what they want.” When reaching out to an advocate, her response was rooted in practical application: start with what the language says, what the change in language is, and ask a handful of people to define both. Then show how those two definitions are not the same level of support/service.
Our military-connected SPED kids deserve equal access to the supplementary aids and services within their IEP throughout each of the transitions they endure. Learning the different languages we are forced to absorb is good, but only when every interested party – both present and future – understands the definitions and intentions behind the language.
Searching for Precedent
Armed with these examples, I set out to find additional data to push back on this change – knowing full well that future school districts would interpret this DoDEA specific language differently – ultimately affecting my child’s educational progress. As a transient military-connected special education student, what verbiage is best, given our constant zig-zags across the world?
Enter every SPED Mom’s best friend: Google. Through my research in determining if language truly does matter the way my gut (and educational connections) told me it did, I stumbled upon a court case: Howard G. v. State of Hawaii, Dep’t of Education. By not definitively communicating within the IEP which services are provided by paraeducators, the Hawaii DOE became entangled in lengthy litigation, and the family ultimately prevailed. The ruling proves precise language is vital; the case cemented the use of clear language.
The “I” in IEP
Language in an IEP should always pass the “stranger test.” Just as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) intended, IEPs should be written in a way that someone unfamiliar with the IEP can understand and enforce it with fidelity. Specifically in the “post-Covid” era we find ourselves in, with teacher shortages and a lack of substitutes, it’s even more necessary now to ensure IEPs utilize basic language. More often than not, long-term substitutes and fill-ins are called in last minute, meaning they have little time to absorb the details within an IEP. Generic, yet clear terminology helps new/unfamiliar school staff and enhances a parent’s participation in meetings; especially if they are new to the IEP process and the unending array of SPED acronyms.
We must remember, as parents, that an IEP is an Individualized Education Program. No single school district owns the language within our child’s IEP – it is theirs and theirs alone. It becomes a part of their educational record, a record that travels with the student to each new district they attend.
When schools attempt to box our kids in with their own flowery language, what they are really doing is muddying the waters and allowing for vague interpretations of what a child requires to succeed in the least restrictive environment. Requiring district-specific language is the opposite of what the IDEA intends, and places our child in a district-specific box that takes out the “I” in IEP.
How to Advocate for Plain Language
As a parent, we are our child’s best advocate, and we must learn to trust our gut instincts, especially when it comes to abrupt changes within our child’s IEP. Furthermore, when changes are presented in meetings, make sure you’re asking questions:
- Where is the data to back up this change?
- Can you provide any district guidelines or rules surrounding this verbiage?
- Could we consider temporarily trialing this change so we can gather data to see if it will be a positive change for the child before we alter the IEP?
Often our questions, knowledge, and participation in the IEP process can assist schools in understanding the complex lives our children lead and help bridge the gaps for a more effective IEP team. When we as parents know better, we can do better.
Need help advocating or learning more about IEPs? Visit the Partners in PROMISE IEP Toolbox to learn more.
About the Author
Melissa Flynn is a military spouse of 12 years and married to an Army aviator. In her previous life before becoming a mil-spouse and mother, Melissa worked as a marketing director for a nationwide life insurance company. She also has vast experience in project management and finance. Melissa is currently a business analyst for a medical mergers and acquisitions company. She graduated from the University of Arizona in 2006.
Melissa has two sons, her oldest is on the autism spectrum. Having just completed a 2-year stint as a school board member for Fort Campbell schools, Melissa is currently preparing for a PCS to Hawaii later this year where she will continue to advocate for SPED families.
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