Glossary
IRK, IOP, cenzus, veštačenje – applications and official decisions are full of terms nobody explains. And meltdown, shutdown and masking describe what happens at home — nobody explains those either. Here are twenty-one terms: sixteen from the language of the authorities and five from the child’s own experience.
These terms come from the glossary of the Mika Guide app. They are deliberately short: just enough for you to know what is being talked about — and so that you have a word for what happens at home. What this means day to day is explained on the Everyday topics page. The official terms describe the Serbian system, because that is where this site is written. If you live in Croatia, Slovenia or North Macedonia, open this page in that language: each language version explains the names and procedures of its own country. A summary for your country is also in the Rights tab of the Mika Guide.
Centar za socijalni rad / CSR (Center for Social Work)
The institution through which many social-welfare entitlements are exercised — for example the care-of-another allowance. The application is filed there on a prescribed form, the case is handled there and the written decision comes from there; the child allowance, however, is the responsibility of the municipal administration.
PIO fond (Pension and Disability Insurance Fund)
The pension and disability insurance fund. For children it matters because there are two separate routes to the care-and-assistance allowance: through the PIO fund for insured persons, and through the Centar za socijalni rad for those who are not insured — which is the usual route for a child. The amounts and the responsible body differ, so families often file with the wrong one.
Veštačenje (expert medical assessment)
A specialist review by a commission of physicians that assesses your child’s needs for care and assistance. Their findings are the basis for deciding on entitlements.
Tuđa nega i pomoć (care-and-assistance-of-another-person allowance)
An entitlement and a cash benefit for a child who, because of their condition, needs constant help from another person in everyday activities. For a child who is not insured the application goes through the Centar za socijalni rad; the amount there was 15.439 dinars a month, and through the PIO fund 33.172 dinars a month (figures for October–December 2025).
Uvećani dodatak (increased care-and-assistance allowance)
A higher amount of the care-and-assistance allowance, granted to children with the greatest support needs. It is granted at 100 % bodily impairment on a single ground, for a permanent organic disorder of the neurological or psychological type — which in practice includes autism — or for several impairments of at least 70 % on at least two grounds. The amount was 41.640 dinars a month (October–December 2025), several times the basic allowance. Many families receive only the basic allowance although they could apply for the increased one; it is worth asking about it explicitly at the Centar za socijalni rad.
Roditelj negovatelj (parent-caregiver status)
A status that brings a monthly benefit and payment of social contributions to a parent who cares for a child with developmental disabilities all day long. The law regulating it uniformly nationwide was adopted in July 2026 and applies from 1 October 2026; until then, decisions of individual cities and municipalities with varying conditions apply. The law provides for 65.000 dinars a month plus pension, disability and health insurance contributions, adjusted every 1 March. The parent must not be employed, self-employed, a pensioner, or older than 65.
Dečiji dodatak (child allowance)
A monthly cash benefit for families with children; both the amount and the entitlement itself depend on the household’s income. For a child with a developmental disability the allowance is increased by 50 % and a higher income threshold applies: the increased amount is 6.795,96 dinars a month (from 1 July 2026).
Cenzus (income threshold / means test)
The income limit per household member up to which you’re entitled to a benefit, for example the child allowance. Above the threshold, the entitlement lapses. For a child with a developmental disability the threshold is higher than for other children, so it is worth applying even when your income looks too high.
Interresorna komisija / IRK (Inter-Sectoral Commission)
A municipal commission that assesses what additional support a child needs in education, health care, and social welfare, and issues an opinion and recommendations. Parents file the application with the municipality or city on a prescribed form; with the parents’ consent the school, a doctor or the social service can also start the procedure. The commission’s opinion is a precondition for a personal aide.
Dodatna podrška (additional support)
All the measures that make learning and participation easier for a child — from a personal aide and an assistant to an adapted plan and assistive devices.
IOP (IOP1, IOP2 and IOP3) — Individual Education Plan
Individual education plan. IOP1 adapts the methods and materials without changing the goals, IOP2 also changes the outcomes themselves, that is, the content of the subject, and IOP3 is designed for students with exceptional abilities — it extends and deepens the teaching content.
Lični pratilac (personal aide)
A person who helps a child with getting around, communication, and everyday needs at school and beyond, so that the child can take part on an equal footing. The municipality organises and pays for the service, so it is not available everywhere: the State Audit Institution found that the personal aide does not exist at all in a third of Serbia’s cities and municipalities. If you are told the service is unavailable, ask for that answer in writing — a written answer is what you can build on.
Pedagoški asistent (teaching assistant)
Professional support in school that helps both the teacher and the child with instruction and with inclusion in the class.
Razvojno savetovalište (developmental counseling service)
A service at the community health center (dom zdravlja) where a child’s development is monitored and where you can get a first assessment, advice, and a referral for further support.
Rešenje (official written decision / ruling)
The official written decision of an institution (for example the CSR or a commission) on your application. It states what you’ve been granted and from when.
Žalba (appeal)
The right, within a legal deadline (usually 15 days), to disagree in writing with a decision and request that a higher authority review it.
Meltdown
A state of overload in which control gives way. Not a tantrum, not a question of parenting: the nervous system is past its limit. What helps is reducing stimuli and calm presence, not discussion or consequences.
Shutdown
The quiet twin of the meltdown: instead of a loud discharge, there is withdrawal, going silent, seeming absent. It is often misread as defiance and is the opposite of it. What helps is space, not being talked to.
Masking (camouflaging)
Hiding autistic traits in order to get through a situation. It often works surprisingly well — and it costs energy. Sustained masking is today seen as one reason why autism is recognized later in girls, and why the exhaustion then shows up at home.
Autistic burnout
A state of exhaustion after long adaptation and sensory overload, with a real loss of skills. It is well documented and is not a sign of laziness. What helps is relief and time without pressure to adapt.
Stimming
Repeated movements or sounds with which a nervous system regulates itself: rocking, flapping the hands, repeating a word. Autistic adults consistently describe stimming as helpful, often pleasant and necessary. Stopping it takes a tool away from a child without giving another one. Stepping in only makes sense when a movement harms the child itself — and then it is about finding a safe alternative, not about suppressing the need.
The explanations are general and are not legal advice. What applies in your case is decided by the responsible authority.
As of August 2026. The care-and-assistance figures are the amounts for October–December 2025, the child allowance figure applies from 1 July 2026, and the parent-caregiver amount follows from a law that applies from 1 October 2026. Serbian social-welfare amounts are adjusted on 1 April and 1 October, so this page goes out of date twice a year by design. Rules, amounts and procedures change — check what applies at the time of your application with the responsible authority.
What’s next?
One term explained can raise the next question right away. Here is where to continue.