Special Education Acronyms and Special Education Glossary

Applied Behavior Analysis

ABC Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence

AC - Alternative Communication or augmentative communication

ADA Americans with Disabilities Act

Attention Deficit Disorder definition.

ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyper Disorder definition and symptoms.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder

ASL, American Sign Language

CBA or Curriculum Based Assessment is assessment based on the curriculum.

AT - Assistive Technology definition

BIP, Behavior Intervention Plan

CEC, Council for Exceptional Children

The DSM IV is a publication of the American Psychiatric Association used to diagnose mental disorders, ranging from developmental disorders to mental illness.

Early Identification

The Evaluation Report (ER) is written by the psychologist with the assistance of the special education teacher, and makes a recommendation for the placement of the child.

Extended School Year is considered necessary for some students who may lose progress made in the regular school year.

FAPE Free Appropriate Public Education

FAS, Fetal Acohol Syndrome. Definition of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

FAS - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Definition

A brief description of an FBA, or Functional Behavioral Analysis as used to create a BIP

G&T, Gifted and Talented Definition

Hard of Hearing Definition

HOTS Higher Order Thinking Skills

IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

IEP Individual Education Plan or Program

Intelligence Quotient IQ Definition

LD Learning Disability Definition

LRE Least Restrictive Environment

An MDR, or Manifestation Determination Review, must be held when the school wishes to change the placement of a student with an IEP.

MID - Mild Intellectual Disability, mental retardation

MD or MH - Multiply Disabled or Multiply Handicapped

NCLB No Child Left Behind

The NOREP section of the Individual Education Plan indicates how much time a child will spend outside the general education class receiving special education services.

ODD - Oppositional Defiant Disorder

PBS stands for Positive Behavior Support, which consists of strategies that support positive and appropriate behavior in the classroom.

Response to Intervention - RTI

Related Services Definition

SIB, Self-Injurious Behavior

SIP - State Improvement Plan

SPP - State Performance Plan Definition. Special education terms and acronyms.

Theory of mind is the ability to understand other peoples' thoughts, desires and feelings.

A TSS or Therapeutic Support Staff, is one of several jobs in special education that does not require a college degree.

VBA or Verbal Behavior Analysis, is an intervention for children with language deficits based on the work B.F.Skinner, in his book Verbal Behavior.