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 |
| AHEAD | Association on Higher Education and Disabilities |
| AP | Advanced Placement |
| AP; APD | Auditory Processing Disorder |
| ARD | Admission, Review, and Dismissal (Committee) |
| AS | Asperger’s Syndrome |
| 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 |
| CST | Child Study Team |
| DCD | Developmental Coordination Disorder |
| DD | Developmentally Disabled; Developmentally Delayed |
| DOH | Department of Health |
| DSM-IV; DSM-IV-TR | Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – fourth edition; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – fourth edition, text revision |
| DSS | Disability Support Services |
| EBD | Emotional and Behavioral Disorders |
| ECDC | Early Childhood Development Center |
| ED | Emotionally Disturbed |
| EDGAR | Education Department General Administrative Regulations |
| EH | Emotionally Handicapped |
| 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 |
| GATE | Gifted and Talented Education |
| GE | General Education |
| GED | General Education Diploma |
| GPA | Grade Point Average |
| GT/LD | Gifted and Talented with Learning Disabilties |
| HI | Hearing Impaired |
| HOH | Hard of Hearing |
| HS | High School |
| IDA | International Dyslexia Association |
| IDEA | Individuals with Disabilities Education Act |
| IEE | Independent Educational Evaluation |
| IEP | Individualized Education Program |
| IEPT | Individualized Education Program Team |
| ITP | Individual Transition Plan |
| IQ | Intelligence Quotient |
| K-12 | Kindergarten through 12th Grade |
| LEA | Local Education Agency |
| LBLP;LiPS; LMB;LM-B | Lindamood-Bell Language Program |
| LD | Learning Disability |
| LDA | Learning Disability Association |
| LRE | Least Restrictive Environment |
| MBD | Minimal Brain Dysfunction |
| MDT | Multidisciplinary Team |
| MH | Multiply Handicapped |
| MR | Mental Retardation |
| MRI | Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
| MS | Middle School |
| NCLB | No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 |
| 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 |
| OMRDD | Office of Mentally Retardation and Developmental Disabilities |
| OSEP | Office of Special Education Programs |
| OSERS | Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services |
| OT | Occupational Therapist; Occupational Therapy |
| P & A | Protection and Advocacy |
| PAC | Parent Advisory Committee |
| PACER | Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights |
| PDA | Personal Data Assistant |
| PDD; PDD-NOS | Pervasive Developmental Disorder; Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified |
| 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 |
| SMT | Simultaneous Multisensory Teaching |
| SP/Lang, SP/LG | Speech and Language |
| SPED | Special Education |
| SSI | Supplemental Security Income (related to Social Security) |
| SST | Student Study 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; WISCIII; WISCIV | Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children |
| WJ; WJ-III, WJIII; WJ-4; WJ4 | Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery |
