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SPECIAL EDUCATION ACRONYMS AND TERMINOLOGY

Knowledge is Power!  Below are several informal definitions of many of the terms and acronyms used by educators when working with other professionals or parents of children with special needs. Parents of children with disabilities should be familiar with these terms and acronyms in order to actively participate in their child’s education

ABA Applied Behavior Analysis
ACCESS Plastic identification card issued to Medical Assistance recipients.
ADA Americans with Disabilities Act
ADD Attention deficit disorder
ADHD Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
AIDS Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
APS Approved Private School
ASD Autism spectrum disorder
ASL American sign language
AT Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology Device Equipment used to maintain or improve the capabilities of a child with a disability.
AVT Area vocational technical school
AYP Annual Yearly Progress
BD Behavior disordered
BEC Basic Education Circular
BIP Behavior Intervention Plan
COP Communities of Practice
Due Process Hearing An administrative hearing before an impartial hearing officer.
EDGAR Education Department General Administrative Regulations
EHA Education for All Handicapped Children Act. It was renamed in 1990 to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  In the 2004 revisions, it was renamed to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA’04)
Early Intervention Special education and related services according to IDEA provided to children under the age of 5.
ED Emotionally disturbed
EI Early intervention
EPSDT Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment
ER Evaluation Report
ESEA Elementary and Second Education Act
ESL English as a Second Language
ESOL English to Speakers of Other Languages
ESY extended school year
FAPE free appropriate public education
FBA Functional Behavioral Assessment
FERPA Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. FERPA deals with confidentiality and access to student records
HI Hearing Impaired
IAES Interim Alternative Educational Setting
ICC Interagency Coordinating Council
IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act – federal law that protects children with disabilities right to a free appropriate public education.
IEE Independent Educational Evaluation – if a parent disagrees with the results of the evaluation the school district performed they can request an IEE.
IEP Individualized education plan – must be conducted yearly – an extremely important document stating what level the child is currently learning in, his strengths and weaknesses, what is expected in the next year, how they intend to educate the child and related services.
IFSP Individualized family service plan – must be conducted bi-yearly for special needs children from 0-3 yrs. of age – an extremely important document stating what level the child is currently learning in, his strengths and weaknesses, what is expected in the next year, how they will assist the family in order to ensure that the child is benefiting from his/her educational services and/or placement, and related services.
Inclusion The practice of educating children with special needs in regular education classrooms in their neighborhood schools
IQ Intelligence quotient. An IQ score is an artificial number that is used to indicate levels of mental development, not to be confused with persons capabilities.
LD Learning disabled
LEA Local education agency
LEP Limited English Proficiency
LRE Least restrictive environment. LRE is the concept of educating children with disabilities in an educational environment that allows them to participate to the maximum extent possible with their non-disabled peers.
LTF Local Task Force
MA Medical Assistance
Mainstreaming The practice of placing children with disabilities in regular education classrooms to the maximum extent possible.
MAWA Mutually Agreed Upon Written Agreement
MD Multiple Disabilities
MDE Multidisciplinary Evaluation
MDT Multidisciplinary Team
Mediation A meeting to resolve issues between school and home amicably, for it is voluntary thusly both parties must agree to it.
MR Mentally retarded
NCLB No Child Left Behind
NOREP Notice of Recommended Educational Placement – is issued after an IEP meeting and states type of placement and level of service to be provided, parents must sign for their approval or disapproval.
OCD Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
ODD Oppositional Defiant Disorder
ODR Office for Dispute Resolution
OHI Other health impaired
OSEP Office of Special Education Programs
OT Occupational Therapy - therapy for fine motor skills
OVR Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
PASA Pennsylvania Alternative System of Assessment – for children who can not because of their sever disabilities take the PSSA.  (Grades 3, 5, 8, & 11)
PBI Positive Behavioral Interventions
PDD Pervasive Developmental Disorder
P.L. 94-142 The original public law number of the EHA.
PSSA Pennsylvania System of School Assessment – All children are tested, including special education children, must make accommodations for child to participate. (Math & Reading at grades:3,5,8,& 11, Writing at grades: 5,8, & 11) If a child can’t participate then the PASA should be administered.
PT Physical Therapy - Therapy for gross motor skills
Reasonable Accommodation An adoption of a facility or program for a child with a disability that can be accomplished without undue administrative or financial burden
Related Services Services to supplement special education, such as counseling services, behavioral therapy, and occupational therapy.
Resolution Session According to IDEA’04 must be requested before a Due Process can be requested.  The parties (parents & school) try to resolve the issues amicably.
Resource Room A special education placement that is provided in conjunction with or as a supplement to a child’s regular education program.
SDI Specially Designed Instruction
SEA State Education Agency
Section 504 Part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that provides that program recipients that receive federal funds can not discriminate on the basis of a child’s disability.
SED   Seriously emotionally disturbed
SDI Specially Designed Instruction - modification or changes to the general curriculum instruction necessary to implement the goals, benchmarks, and objectives of a child’s IEP.
SLD Specific Learning Disability
Special Education Educational programs and placements provided according to IDEA
TBI Traumatic Brain Injury
Transition Services A service to facilitate movement from school to the workplace or high education that must be included in the IEP at the age of 16.
TMR Trainable mentally retarded
TTY Teletypewriter
VAAS Value Added Assessment System
VI Visually Impaired