Special Needs Acronyms

This weekend I was talking to a mom that just started her daughter in therapy. She told me that she needed a pamphlet with all the new acronyms that are thrown around the special needs community. Immediately, I thought she was right, and I knew that I needed to have a blog entry about common acronyms used in a pediatric therapy office or during special educational meetings.

 

Special Needs Rights Acronyms- Here are acronyms explaining the rights your child has. As an advocate for your child, it is important to know their rights.

ADA = Americans with Disabilities Act

DD Act = Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act

IDEA = Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

NCLB = No Child Left Behind Act

 

Special Needs Paperwork Acronyms- Having a special needs child in school requires special meetings. Here are common acronyms discussed in those meetings.

ABA = Applied Behavior Analysis

 

ADL’s = Activities of Daily Living

APR = Annual Performance Report

ARD = Admission, Review, Dismissal Committee

BIP = Behavior Improvement Plan

BMP = Behavior Management Plan

CAP = Corrective Action Plan

CARS = Childhood Autism Rating Scale

DX = Diagnosis

FSP = Family Support Plan

IEP = Individual Education Plan

IFSP- Individualized Family Service Plan

IQ = Intelligence Quotient

ITP = Individualized Transition Plan

RTI = Response to Intervention

 

Special Needs' Programs Acronyms- These programs are offered for free. It is important to familiarize yourself with them and know their acronyms.

EC- Early Childhood

EI = Early Intervention

SPED = Special Education

 

People Involved with Special Needs Acronyms- Here is a list of acronyms of people that might work with your child.

BIS = Behavior Intervention Specialist

ED DIAG = Educational Diagnostician

IA = Instructional Assistant

OT = Occupational Therapist

PCA = Personal Care Attendant

PT = Physical Therapist

SLP/ ST = Speech Language Pathologist / Speech Therapist

 

Diagnosis Acronyms- Many parents will abbreviate their child’s diagnosis. Here is a list of the most common pediatric diagnosis acronyms.

ADD = Attention Deficit Disorder

ADHD = Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

APD = Auditory Processing Disorder

AS = Asperger's Syndrome

ASD = Autism Spectrum Disorder

BP = Bi-Polar

CAPD = Central Auditory Processing Disorder

CD = Cognitive Disability

CF = Cystic Fibrosis

CP = Cerebral Palsy

CVPD = Central Vision Processing Disorder

DAS = Developmental Apraxia of Speech

DD = Developmentally Delayed

DS = Down Syndrome

DYX= Dyslexia

ED= Emotionally Disturbed

HFA = High Functioning Autism

HI = Hearing Impaired

LD = Learning Disabilities

LFA = Low Functioning Autism

MR = Mental Retardation (IQ less than 70)

OCD = Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

ODD = Oppositional Defiant Disorder

PDD = Pervasive Developmental Disorder

SI = Sensory Integration

SPD = Sensory Processing Disorder

TS = Tourette Syndrome

VI = Vision Impaired

 

Looking at this list, it is easy to see how someone new to the therapy / special needs community could get lost in the jargon. I hope this list helps you understand what people are talking about.