A
AAD adaptive assistive devices
AAT advanced academic training
ABA applied behavior analysis
ABD antisocial behavior disorders
ABE adult basic education
AC alternative certification
ACROS automated cross referencing occupational system
ACT American College Testing
AD attachment disorder
ADA Americans with Disabilities Act; average daily attendance
ADC aid to dependent children
ADD attention deficit disorder
ADHD attention deficit with hyperactivity disorder
ADL activities of daily living
ADM average daily membership
ADR alternative dispute resolution
ADVOC-NET adult vocational network
AEA acquired eleptiform aphasia (Landau-Kleffner syndrome)
AEP alternative education placement
AFDC aid to families with dependent children
AFS adult and family services
AG annual goal
AHSD adult high school diploma
AI auditorily impaired
AIDS acquired immune deficiency syndrome
AIT Agency for Instructional Technology
ALO alternative learning options
ALS advanced life support
AMD alternative mobility device
AP advanced placement
APD antisocial personality disorder; auditory processing disorder
APE adaptive physical education
APPE average per pupil expenditure
ARD admission, review, and dismissal [committee]
ARP advisory review panel
ASC advanced study center
ASD autism spectrum disorder
ASDO alternative service delivery options
ASL American Sign Language
AT assistive technology
ATC area technical center; alternative teacher certification
ATCP alternative teacher certification program
AU autistic
AUT autism
AVTI area vocational technical institute
AYP annual yearly progress


B
BAC behavior adjustment class
BASIS Basic Adult Skills Inventory System
BD behaviorally disordered; behavior disorders; brain damaged
BEP behavioral education plan
BEST basic education study team
BETAC bilingual education technical assistance centers
BI brain injury
BIA Brain Injury Association; Bureau of Indian Affairs
BIL bilingual
BIP behavior intervention plan
BLS basic life support
BMP behavior management plan
BOCES Board of Comprehensive Education Services (New York State)


C
CA chronological age
CAI computer-assisted instruction
CAM certificate of advanced mastery
CAP central auditory processing
CAPD central auditory processing disorders; see also APD (auditory processing disorder)
CAT committee on accessible transportation
CBA curriculum based assessment
CBM curriculum based measurement
CC cross categorical
CD communication development; conduct disorder
CDA child development associate
CDRC child development and rehabilitation center
CDS child development specialist
CFLA community and family living amendments
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
CHAP child health assurance program
CHD center on human development
CHI closed head injury
CIL center for independent living
CIM certificate of initial mastery
CLAS culturally and linguistically appropriate services
CLD culturally and linguistically diverse
CMHP community mental health program
CNS central nervous system
COTA certified occupational therapist assistant
CP cerebral palsy
CPPC cooperative personnel planning council
CPSE committee on preschool special education
CSA childhood sexual abuse
CSE case study evaluation; committee on special education
CSEF Center for Special Education Finance
CSPD comprehensive system of personnel development
CSS community support service
CTT community transition team


D
D&E diagnosis and evaluation
DAP developmentally appropriate practices
DARTS day and residential treatment services
DAS developmental apraxia of speech
DB; DBL deaf-blind
DCD developmental coordination disorder
D deaf
DD developmental disabilities; developmentally delayed
DDC developmental disabilities council
DDD division of developmental disabilities
DHHAP deaf and hard of hearing access program
DHR Department of Human Resources
DI direct instruction
DNR do not resuscitate
DoDDS US Dept. of Defense Dependent Schools
DOE Department of Education
DON determination of need
DREDF Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
DRG diagnostically related groups
DS direction service
DSM Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (for Mental Disorders)


E
EBD emotional and behavioral disorders
EC early childhood; exceptional child[ren]
ECE early childhood education
ECI early childhood intervention
ECSE early childhood special education
ECT early childhood team
ED emotionally disturbed; emotional disorders; US Department of Education
EDGAR Education Department General Administrative Regulations
EEs essential elements
EEN exceptional education needs
EFA experimental functional analysis
EHA Education for All Handicapped Children Act (since 1990, known as the Individuals with 
        Disabilities Education Act [IDEA])

EI early intervention
EI/ECSE early intervention/early childhood special education
ELL English language learner
EMDR eye movement desensitization and reprocessing
EMH educable mentally handicapped
EMR educably mentally retarded
EMT emergency medical treatment
EPSDT early periodic screening diagnosis and treatment program
EQ exceptional quality
ERC education resource center
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
ESA education service agency
ESC education service center
ESD education service district
ESE exceptional student education
ESEA Elementary and Secondary Education Act
ESL English as a second language
ESOL English for speakers of other languages
ETP effective teaching practices
ESY extended school year
EYS extended year services (ECSE)


F
FAIP functional assessment and intervention program
FAPE free appropriate public education
FAST functional academic skills test
FBA functional behavior assessment
FC facilitated communication; foster care
FDAB Fair Dismissal Appeals Board
FERPA Family Educational Rights to Privacy Act (aka the Buckley Amendment)
FIPSA Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education
FLSA Fair Labor Standards Act
FMLA Family Medical Leave Act
FR Federal Register
FSA Family Support Act
FSHA first source hiring agreement
FSD flexible service delivery model
FTE full-time equivalent
FY fiscal year


G
GAPS guardianship, advocacy, and protective services
GSE generic special education
GT gifted and talented


H
HBCU historically black colleges and universities
HI health impaired; hearing impaired
HOH hard of hearing
HOTS higher-order thinking skills
HS head start; high school
HSC high school completion


I
IASA Improving America's Schools Act
IAES interim alternative educational setting
ICC interagency coordinating council
ICD international code of diseases
ICDP individual career development plans
ICF intermediate care facility
ICFMR intermediate care facility for mental retardation
IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
IDELR Individuals with Disabilities Education Law Report (from LRP Pubs.)
IED intermittent explosive disorder
IEE independent education evaluation
IEP individualized education program
IEPC individualized educational planning committee
IEU intermediate educational unit
IFA individualized functional assessment
IFSP individualized family service plan
IHE institution of higher education
IHCP individualized health care plan
IHO impartial hearing officer
IHP individualized habilitation program or plan
IHTP individualized habilitation and treatment plan
ILC independent living center
ILP independent living plan
ILT instructional leadership training
IMC instructional materials center
IML instructional materials laboratory
IPE individualized plan for employment
IPL initial program load
IPP individualized program plan
IQ intelligence quotient
ISP individualized service plan
ISS in school suspension
ITH intensive training home
ITIP instructional theory into practice
ITP individualized transition plan (similar to IEP)


J
JDRP joint dissemination review panel
JOBS job opportunities and basic skills
JTPA Job Training Partnership Act
JJAEP juvenile justice alternative education


L
LA language arts
LD learning disabilities; learning disabled
LDA Learning Disabilities Association
LDP language development program
LEA local education agency
LEDS law enforcement data system
LEP limited English proficient
LICC local interagency coordinating council
LIFE living in functional environments
LoF Letter of Finding issued by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
LPTA licensed physical therapy assistant
LRE least restrictive environment
LSSP licensed specialist in school psychology
LTCF long-term care facility
LTCT long-term care and treatment


M
MA mental age
MBD minimal brain dysfunction
MBO management by objective
MDC multi-disciplinary conference
MDT multidisciplinary team; manifest determination team
M/ED mental or emotional disturbance
MESC migrant education service center
MFCU medically fragile children's unit
MH multiply handicapped
MHM multihandicapped mainstream
MHMR mental health mental retardation
MI multiple intelligences
MIS management information systems
MMR mild mental retardation
MMS mastery management system
MR mentally retarded or mental retardation
MR/DD mentally retarded/developmentally disabled
MR/MED mentally retarded and mentally or emotionally disturbed (sometimes referred to as dual diagnosis)
MSDD multisystem developmental disorder
MSRTS migrant student record transfer system
MST multisystemic therapy


N
NCES National Center for Education Statistics
NCLB; NCLBA No Child Left Behind Act
NDT neurodevelopmental treatment
NEA National Education Association
NICU neonatal intensive care unit
NSBA National School Boards Association


O
O&M orientation and mobility
OCD obsessive compulsive disorder
OCR Office of Civil Rights
ODAS occupational data analysis system
ODD oppositional defiant disorder
OE open entries
OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
OH orthopedically handicapped
OHI other health impairments
OMI other minorities
OSEP Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education
OT occupational therapy/therapist
OT/PT occupational therapy/physical therapy
OWLS  Oral Written Language Scales


P
P and A protection and advocacy
PACER parent advocacy coalition for educational rights center
PALS peer-assisted learning system
PAT Photo Articulation Test
PAVE parents advocating for vocational education
PCA personal care attendant
PCD perceptual communicative disability
PDAS professional development and appraisal system
PDD pervasive development disorder
PDD-NOS pervasive development disorder—not otherwise specified
PEATC parent education advocacy training center
PECS picture exchange communication system
PEIMS public education information management system
PEL present education level
PERS public employees retirement system
PET pupil evaluation team
PIC private industry council
PIQ performance IQ
PLATO programmed logic automatic teaching operations
PLI pragmatic language impairment
PLOP present level of performance
PPCD preschool program for children with disabilities
PPS pupil personnel services
PRE-K pre-kindergarten
PT physical therapy/therapist
PTA physical therapist assistant; post-traumatic amnesia
PTG parent teacher group
PTSD post-traumatic stress disorder
PTT planning and placement team
PVS persistent vegetative state; private vocational schools
PY project year


Q
QAFB questions about functional behavior
QMRP qualified mental retardation professional


R
RAD reactive attachment disorder
RCF residential care facility
RCH residential care home
RDD reading disorder-dyslexia
R&D research & development
REBT rational emotive behavior therapy
REI regular education initiative
RFP request for proposal
RMT regional management team
RRC regional resource centers
RSP resource specialist (regional term)
R&T research and training
RTC residential treatment center
RTH residential training home
RTI response to intervention
RWQC regional workforce quality committee


S
SAT scholastic aptitude test
SBE; SBOE state board of education
SB L-M Stanford-Binet, Form L-M (language/memory)
SBS schoolwide behavior supports
SDA service delivery area
SDC special day class
SDE self-directed employment
SE special education
SEA state education agency; state education association
SECC special education child count
SECTION 504 a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 making it illegal for any organization receiving federal funds to discriminate against a person solely on the basis of disability.

SED seriously emotionally disturbed
SEMS special education management system
SENCO special education needs coordinator
SENG supporting the emotional needs of the gifted
SERVE secondary education reporting of vocational enrollment
SI speech impaired
SIB self-injurious behavior
SICC state interagency coordinating council
SIG state improvement grant
SILP semi-independent living program
SIP state improvement plan
SIS shared information systems
SLC structured learning center
SLD specific learning disability
SLP speech-language pathologist
SLPA speech-language pathologist assistant
SLR state liaison representative
SPeNSE study of personnel needs in special education
SOL standards of learning
SOSCF state offices for services to children and families
SPD semantic pragmatic disorder
SPED special education
SPLD semantic pragmatic language disorder
SSA social security act; SSA Social Security Administration
SSBD septimatic screening for behavior disorders
SSD social security disability
SSDI social security disability income
SSI statewide systemic initiative; supplemental security income
SST student study team; student support team
STO short-term objective


T
TAG talented and gifted
TBI traumatic brain injury
TDD telecommunication devices for the deaf
TESOL teachers of English for speakers of other languages
TIP teacher improvement process
TLC therapeutic learning center
TMH trainable mentally handicapped
TMR trainably mentally retarded
TPP transition planning process
TOVA test of variable attention
TTY teletypewriter (phone system for deaf individuals—see TDD)


U
UAF university affiliated facility
UCE university centers for excellence


V
VAC vocational adjustment counselor; vocational adjustment class
VCD volitional conduct disorder
VEDS vocational education data systems
VI visually impaired
VRD vocational rehabilitation division
VSA very special arts


W
WAC work activity center
WEA Washington Education Association
WISC-R Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised
WISC-III Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition
WOD written output disorder
WQC workplace quality council
WRAP wraparound program


Y
YTP youth transition program