Special Education Acronyms

A Acronyms

AAC | Alternative Augmentative Communication

ABA | Applied Behavioral Analysis

ABC | Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence

ADA |Americans with Disabilities Act

ADD/ADHD | Attention Deficit/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

ADLs | Activities of Daily Living

ADR | Alternative Dispute Resolution

AIM | Accessible Instructional Materials

APE | Adaptive Physical Education

APR | Annual Performance Report

ARD | Admission, Review, and Dismissal Committee

ARRA | American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

ASD | Autism Spectrum Disorders

ASL | American Sign Language

AT | Assistive Technology

AYP | Adequate Yearly Progress

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B Acronyms

BD | Behavioral Disorder

BIE | Bureau of Indian Education

BIP | Behavioral Intervention Plan

BOE | Board of Education

 

C Acronyms

CAP | Corrective Action Plan

CAPD | Central Auditory Processing Disorder

CAPTA | Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act

CBA | Curriculum Based Assessment

CC | Closed Captioning

CDA | Child Development Associate

CDC | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CEC | Council for Exceptional Children

CF |  Cystic Fibrosis

CFR | Code of Federal Regulations

CIFMS | Continuous Improvement and Focused Monitoring System

COP | Community of Practice

CP | Cerebral Palsy

CPRC | Community Parent Resource Center

CSHCN | Children with Special Health Care Needs

CSPD | Comprehensive System of Personnel Development

CST | Child Study Team

 

D Acronyms

DB | Deaf-Blind

DD | Developmental Delay

DD Act | Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act

DIBELS | Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy

DoDDS | Department of Defense Dependent Schools

DS | Down Syndrome

DSM | Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by the American Psychiatric Association

 

E Acronyms

ECE | Early Childhood Education

ECSE | Early Childhood Special Education

ED | Emotional Disturbance

ED | U.S. Department of Education

EDGAR | Education Department General Administrative Regulations

EHA | Education of the Handicapped Act (now IDEA)

EHDI | Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

EI | Early Intervention

EIS | Early Intervening Services

ELL | English Language Learner

EMH | Educable Mentally Handicapped

EMR | Educable Mentally Retarded

EPSDT | Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment

ERIC | Educational Resources Information Center

ESD | Extended School Day

ESEA | Elementary and Secondary Education Act

ESL | English as a Second Language

ESY or EYS | Extended School Year or Extended Year Services

 

F Acronyms

FAPE | Free Appropriate Public Education

FAS | Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

FBA | Functional Behavioral Assessment

FC | Facilitated Communication

FEOG | Full Educational Opportunity Goal

FERPA | Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

FOIA | Freedom of Information Act

 

G and H Acronyms

GE | General Education

GPRA | Government Performance and Results Act

GT | Gifted and Talented

HI | Hearing Impaired

HO | Hearing Officer

HoH | Hard of Hearing

HOUSSE | High Objective Uniform State Standards of Evaluation

HQT | Highly Qualified Teacher

 

I Acronyms

IA | Instructional Assistant

IAES | Interim Alternative Educational Setting

ID | Intellectual Disabilities

IDEA | Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

IEE | Individualized Educational Evaluation

IEP | Individualized Education Program

IES | Institute of Education Sciences

IFSP | Individualized Family Service Plan

IHE | Institution of Higher Education

ITCA | Infants and Toddlers Coordinators Association

ITP | Individualized Transition Plan

 

L, M, and N Acronyms

LD | Learning Disability

LEA | Local Education Agency

LEP | Limited English Proficiency

LRE | Least Restrictive Environment

MD | Muscular Dystrophy

MD or MH | Multiple Disabilities or Multiply Handicapped

MDR | Manifestation Determination Review

MMR | Mildly Mentally Retarded **

Mod MR | Moderately Mentally Retarded **

MOU | Memorandum of Understanding

MR | Mental Retardation **

NASDSE | National Association of State Directors of Special Education

NCLB | No Child Left Behind Act (Elementary and Secondary Education Act)

NIH | National Institutes of Health

NIMAS | National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard

NIMH | National Institute of Mental Health

NPRM | Notice of Proposed Rule Making

 

O Acronyms

OCD | Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

OCR | Office of Civil Rights

ODD | Oppositional Defiant Disorder

OHI | Other Health Impairment

OI | Orthopedic Impairment

O & M | Orientation and Mobility

OSEP | Office of Special Education Programs

OT | Occupational Therapy

 

P and R Acronyms

P&A | Protection & Advocacy

PALS | Peer-Assisted Learning System

PASS | Plan for Achieving Self-Support

PBS | Positive Behavioral Supports

PCA | Personal Care Attendant

PD | Physical Disability

PDD | Pervasive Developmental Disorder

PEI | Spanish acronym for the Individualized Education Program (Plan Educativo Individualizado)

Perkins Act | Carl Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act

PLEP or PLP | Present Level of Educational Performance or Present Level of Performance

PP | Paraprofessional

PS | Preschool

PT | Physical Therapy

PTI | Parent Training and Information Center

RFP | Request for proposals

RS | Related Services

RTI | Response to Intervention

RTTT | Race to the Top Fund

 

S Acronyms

§ | This symbol means “Section” as in “§ 300.7 Child with a disability” in the IDEA regulations

SAS | Supplementary Aids and Services

SB | Spina Bifida

SCHIP | State Children’s Health Insurance Program

SE | Special Education

SEA | State Education Agency

SEAC | Special Education Advisory Committee

Section 504 | Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

SED | Serious Emotional Disturbance

SI | Sensory Integration

SIG | State Improvement Grant

SIP | State Implementation Plan

SLD | Specific Learning Disability

SLI | Speech/Language Impairment

SLP | Speech/Language Pathologist

SPOA | Specific Power of Attorney

SPP | State Performance Plan

SSDI | Social Security Disability Income

SSI | Supplemental Security Income

SST | Student Study Team

 

T to Z Acronyms

TA&D | Technical Assistance and Dissemination Network funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)

TANF | Temporary Assistance to Needy Families

TBI | Traumatic Brain Injury

TDD | Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf

TMH | Trainable Mentally Handicapped

TMR | Trainable Mentally Retarded

TS | Tourette Syndrome

T-TA | Training and Technical Assistance

TTY | Teletypewriter (phone system for the deaf)

TWWIIA | Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act

VI |Visual Impairment

Voc Ed | Vocational Education

VR | Vocational Rehabilitation

WIC | Women, Infants and Children (Special Supplemental Food Program)

WWC | What Works Clearinghouse