Special Education Terms in Ohio

What special education terms does Ohio use?

Ohio uses several state-specific terms, acronyms, and legal frameworks in special education that differ from or supplement federal IDEA terminology. The Evaluation Team Report (ETR) — recorded on the state's required PR-06 form — is Ohio's required evaluation document; it determines disability eligibility by answering the three-part Ohio eligibility question and replaces what other states may call an 'evaluation report' or 'multidisciplinary evaluation report' (OAC 3301-51-06). Ohio uses the standard federal term 'IEP Team' (not a different name) and 'IEP' as the required planning document. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW), formerly known as the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), is the state education agency (SEA) responsible for special education oversight under ORC Chapter 3323. Within ODEW, the Office for Exceptional Children (OEC) administers all special education programs, conducts IDEA monitoring, and issues guidance. Ohio's statewide support system includes 16 regional State Support Teams (SSTs), which provide technical assistance, professional development, and special education compliance support to school districts at no cost (education.ohio.gov/Topics/School-and-District-Improvement/State-Support-Teams). Ohio uses 'intervention specialist' as the term for a licensed special education teacher — an Ohio-specific certification category governed by ORC 3317.15 and OAC 3301-24. Ohio uses 'serious emotional disturbance' (SED) as the administrative label for the disability category that federal IDEA calls 'emotional disturbance' (OAC 3301-51-01). Recording consent: Ohio follows a one-party consent rule for recording under ORC §2933.52 — a parent (or any party to the conversation) may legally record an IEP meeting without notifying or obtaining consent from other participants. The Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD) is the state's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center (PTI), operating 15 offices statewide to serve families of children with disabilities ages 0–26 (ocecd.org). The Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI) provides statewide training, assistive technology lending, and accessible educational materials (ocali.org; ORC 3323.05). County Boards of Developmental Disabilities (CBDDs) are Ohio-specific county-level agencies (formerly called County Boards of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities or MR/DD boards) that serve as interagency partners for students with developmental disabilities — they may provide or coordinate transition services and early intervention (ORC Chapter 5126). The Operating Standards for the Education of Children with Disabilities is Ohio's comprehensive state regulatory document consolidating IDEA Part B and state OAC requirements (updated June 2024; education.ohio.gov).