Special Education Terms in West Virginia
What special education terms does West Virginia use?
West Virginia uses several state-specific terms that differ from federal IDEA terminology. The most important differences are: (1) West Virginia uses 'exceptionalities' as the collective term for students with disabilities who receive special education; (2) West Virginia uses 'emotional/behavioral disorder' (EBD) rather than the federal term 'emotional disturbance'; (3) West Virginia uses 'multidisciplinary evaluation team' (MET) rather than 'multidisciplinary team' (MDT); (4) West Virginia uses 'county board of education' for what IDEA calls a 'local educational agency' (LEA); (5) West Virginia uses 'service coordinator' language in early intervention (birth-to-3) contexts. These variations are established in W. Va. C.S.R. § 126-16-1 and related statutory provisions. The recording rights terminology is also notable: West Virginia is a one-party consent state (W. Va. Code § 62-1D-3), meaning one party to a conversation may record without others' knowledge or consent — this applies to IEP meetings when a parent is present.
What West Virginia Requires
'Exceptionalities' = IDEA's 'disabilities' — West Virginia's collective term for conditions qualifying students for special education (W. Va. C.S.R. § 126-16-1.4).
'Emotional/behavioral disorder' (EBD) = IDEA's 'emotional disturbance' — West Virginia's state-specific disability category term (W. Va. C.S.R. § 126-16-6.5.1).
'Multidisciplinary evaluation team' (MET) = IDEA's evaluation team — the group that conducts evaluations and determines eligibility in West Virginia (W. Va. C.S.R. § 126-16-6.2).
'County board of education' = IDEA's 'local educational agency' (LEA) — the responsible governmental entity for special education in each West Virginia county (W. Va. Code § 18-20-5).
Recording consent: West Virginia is a one-party consent state — a parent who is a party to the IEP meeting conversation may record without notifying or obtaining consent from other participants (W. Va. Code § 62-1D-3).
'Students with exceptionalities' is the preferred state term; 'exceptional children' or 'exceptional students' may also appear in older WV documents (W. Va. C.S.R. § 126-16 preamble).