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)