Frequently Used Acronyms

As you sort through vast amounts of information to find ways to help your child with learning difficulties, you're likely to find many acronyms. If you're not sure what they represent, it may be difficult to gain a full understanding of the material you're reading. So to assist you in the process, here are some common acronyms and the words they stand for:

ABA - Applied Behavior Analysis

ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act

ADR - Alternative Dispute Resolution

ADD; AD/HD; ADHD; ADD/In - Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder; ADD Inattentive

AP - Advanced Placement

AP; APD - Auditory Processing Disorder

ARD - Admission, Review, and Dismissal (Committee)

ASD - Autism Spectrum Disorder

ASL - American Sign Language

AT - Assistive Technology

BIP; BMP - Behavior Intervention Plan; Behavior Management Plan

BOE - Board of Education

CAP; CAPD - Central Auditory Processing Disorder

CAST - Center for Applied Special Technology

CBA - Curriculum-Based Assessment

CCLD - Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities

CEC - Council for Exceptional Children

CFR - Code of Federal Regulations

CHADD - Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

COPAA - The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates

CPSE - Committee on Preschool Special Education

CSE - Committee on Special Education

DCD - Developmental Coordination Disorder

DD - Developmentally Disabled; Developmentally Delayed

DOH - Department of Health

DSM-V - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Fifth Edition

ED - Emotionally Disturbed

ELL - English Language Learner

ERIC - Educational Resources Information Center

ESL - English as Second Language

ESY - Extended School Year Services

ETS - Educational Testing Service

FAPE - Free Appropriate Public Education

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

FERPA - Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

FMRI - Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

FSP - Family Support Plan

GE - General Education

GPA - Grade Point Average

HI - Hearing Impaired

HOH - Hard of Hearing

HS - High School

IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

IEE - Independent Educational Evaluation

IEP - Individualized Education Program

ID - Intellectual Disabiltiy

K-12 - Kindergarten through 12th Grade

LEA - Local Education Agency

LD - Learning Disability

LDA - Learning Disability Association

LRE - Least Restrictive Environment

MDT - Multidisciplinary Team

MH - Multiply Handicapped

MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging

MS - Middle School

NCLD - National Center for Learning Disabilities

NICHCY - National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities formerly National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities

NICHD - National Institute for Child Health and Human Development

NIH - National Institutes of Health

NILD - National Institute for Learning Disabilities

NIMH - National Institutes of Mental Health

NLD;NVLD - Nonverbal Learning Disability

OCD - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

OCR - Office for Civil Rights

ODD - Oppositional Defiant Disorder

OG; O-G - Orton Gillingham [reading method]

OHI - Other Health Impaired

OT - Occupational Therapist; Occupational Therapy

PSAT - Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test

PT - Physical Therapist; Physical Therapy

PTA - Parent-Teacher Association

PTI - Parent Training and Information (Center)

PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

RFBD - Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic

RSP - Resource Specialist Program

SAT - Scholastic Aptitude Test

SD - School District

SED - State Education Department; Severely Emotionally Disturbed

SI - Sensory Integration

SLD - Specific Learning Disability

SLP - Speech and Language Program

SP/Lang, SP/LG - Speech and Language

SPED - Special Education

SSI - Supplemental Security Income (related to Social Security)

SST - Student Support Team

TESOL - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

URL - Uniform Resource Locator [website address]

V/V - Verbalization/Visualization

WIAT - Wechsler Individual Achievement Test

WISC - WAIS

WPPSI - Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence

WJ; WJ (IV) - Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-educational Battery (Fourth Edition)