Acronym Directory – Alphabet Soup Decoded

An acronym is an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word. Alphabet soup is often used as a metaphor for an abundance of acronyms or abbreviations. When it comes to the autism, disability and special education community at large, we have a LOT of alphabet soup. We have enough in fact, that none of us should ever go hungry, except perhaps in hunger for knowledge about what all those confusing abbreviations mean.

Well, worry no more. We’re here to help demystify some of the jargon. The next time you’re in an IEP meeting with your OT and SLP talking about FAPE and SPED, you’ll have an I-D-E-A of what everyone is talking about.

Hint… it never hurts to ask when you come across an acronym you’re unfamiliar with. Chances are that someone else in the same room is wondering the same thing and will be relieved you asked!

Below you will find a directory for abbreviations and acronyms you may come across in your journey through life navigating through varies educational, medical, employment and government agency channels. Some of these are more commonly used in some parts of the world than others. Government agencies in different regions may have different acronyms to represent a similar service or function.

If you have an acronym to add that you don’t see on the list, please let us know and we’ll do our best to include it.

• AAC = Assistive Augmentative Communication or Alternative Augmentative Communication
• AAPD = American Association of People with Disabilities
• ABA = Applied Behavioral Analysis
• ADA = American with Disabilities Act
• ADD / ADHD = Attention Deficit Disorder / Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
• ADL = Activity of Daily Living
• ADOS = Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale
• ADR = Alternative Dispute Resolution
• AEIE = Accept, Enrich, Inspire, Empower – Autism Empowerment’s Four Foundational Pillars
• AE = Autism Empowerment
• AIT =  Auditory Integration Training
• ALC = Academic Learning Classroom
• APE = Adaptive Physical Education
• APR = Annual Performance Report
• AS = Asperger syndrome or Asperger’s Syndrome
• ASCII = American Standard Code for Information Exchange
• ASC = Autism Spectrum Condition (preferred by some over disorder)
• ASD = Autism Spectrum Disorder(s)
• ASL  = American Sign Language
• ASR = Autism and Scouting Radio
• AT = Assistive Technology
• AYP = Adequate Yearly Progress

• BD = Behavioral Disorder
• BIP = Behavior Intervention Plan
• BMP = Behavior Management Plan
• BOE = Board of Education

• CAPD = Central Auditory Processing Disorder
• CAST = Center for Applied Special Technology
• CAPTA = Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
• CBA = Curriculum Based Assessment
• CC = Closed Captioning
• CD = Cognitive Disability
• CDC = Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• CEC = Council for Exceptional Children
• CF = Cystic Fibrosis
• CIL = Center for Independent Living
• CP = Cerebral Palsy

• DA = Developmental Age
• DD = Developmental Delay
• DDA = Developmental Disabilities Association
• DDC = Developmental Disabilities Council
• DHOH = Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• DS = Down syndrome
• DSC = Developmental Skills Classroom – The Developmental Skills Classroom provides specially designed instruction and related services in life skills, foundational academic skills, communication and pre-vocational/vocational skills.
• DSHS = Department of Social and Health Services – oversees the social services provided to the citizens of Washington State.
• DSM-IV = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition) by the American Psychiatric Association
• DSM-V = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition) by the American Psychiatric Association

• ECC = Early Childhood Center (in Vancouver, WA)
• ECE = Early Childhood Education
• ED = U.S. Department of Education
• EHDI – Early Hearing Detection and Intervention
• EI = Early Intervention
• EIS = Early Intervention Services
• ELL = English Language Learner
• ESD = Educational School District
• ESD = Extended School Day
• ESL = English as a Second Language
• ESY = Extended School Year

• FAPE = Free and Appropriate Public Education
• FAS = Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
• FBA = Functional Behavioral Assessment
• FERPA = Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
• FOIA = Freedom of Information Act

• GE = General Education
• GF = Gluten Free
• GFCF = Gluten free, Casein Free
• GT = Gifted and Talented

• HCBS = Home and Community Based Services
• HI = Hearing Impaired
• HIPAA = Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996
• HF = High-functioning (note: use of functioning labels are not recommended because of accuracy and ableism)
• HFA = High-functioning Autism (note: use of functioning labels are not recommended because of accuracy and ableism)
• HHS = Health and Human Services
• HoH = Hard of Hearing
• HQT = Highly Qualified Teacher

• IA = Instructional Assistant
• ID = Intellectual Disabilities
• I/DD = Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities
• IDEA = Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
• IEE = Individualized Educational Evaluation
• IEP = Individualized Education Program
• IFSP = Individualized Family Service Plan
• IHE = Institute of Higher Education
• ISAP  =  Individualized Scout Advancement Plan
• ITCA = Infants and Toddlers Coordination Association
• ITP = Individualized Transition Plan

• LD = Learning Disabled or Learning Disability
• LEA = Local Education Agency
• LEP = Limited English Proficiency
• LFA = Low-functioning Autism  (note: use of functioning labels are not recommended because of accuracy and ableism)
• LRE = Least Restrictive Environment
• LSC = Life Skills Classroom – Provides services to students focused on adaptive and academic skills development. The Life Skills Classroom provides specially designed instruction and related services in functional life skills, fundamental academic skills, communication and pre-vocational pre-vocational/vocational skills.

• MD = Muscular Dystrophy
• MD = Multiple Disabilities
• MDR = Manifestation Determination Review

• NAMI = National Alliance on Mental Illness
• NASDSE = National Association of State Directors of Special Education
• NCD = National Council on Disability
• NCLB = No Child Left Behind Act (Elementary and Secondary Education Act)
• NDEAM = National Disability Employment Awareness Month (October)
• NIH = National Institutes of Health
• NIMH = National Institute of Mental Health
• NT = Neurotypical

• OCD = Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• OCR = Office for Civil Rights (A part of the U.S. Dept. of Education responsible for enforcing Section 504)
• ODD = Oppositional Defiant Disorder
• OHI = Other Health Impairment
• OI = Orthopedic Impairment
• OSEP = Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education
• OSPI = Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (in Washington state)
• OT = Occupational Therapy

• P&A = Protection and Advocacy
• PALS = Peer-Assisted Learning System
• PASS = Plan for Achieving Self-Support
• PBIS = Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports
• PCA = Personal Care Attendant
• PCP = Person Centered Planning
• PD = Physical Disability
• PDD = Pervasive Developmental Disorder
• PDD-NOS = Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified
• PECS  = Picture Exchange Communication System
• PLEP or PLP – Present Level of Educational Performance
• PP = Paraprofessional
• PS = Preschool
• PT = Physical Therapy
• PTI = Parent Training and Information Center

• RFP = Request for Proposals
• RS = Related Services
• RTI = Response to Intervention

• SAP = School Age Parents
• SAS = Supplementary Aids and Services
• SB = Spina Bifida
• SCHIP = State Children’s Health Insurance Program
• SCIP = Social Communication Integration Program – Provides services to students with a focus on Social Communication needs. Usually for students with an autism spectrum diagnosis.
• SDD = Significant Developmental Delay
• SEA = State Education Agency
• SEAC = Special Education Advisory Committee
• SED = Serious Emotional Disturbance
• SI = Sensory Integration
• SLD = Specific Learning Disability
• SLI = Speech / Language Impairment
• SLM = Spectrum Life Magazine
• SLP = Speech Language Pathologist
• SMI = Serious Mental Illness
• SPED or SE = Special Education
• SPD = Sensory Processing Disorder
• SPOA = Specific Power of Attorney
• SSDI = Social Security Disability Income
• SSI = Supplemental Security Income
• STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics
• Stim = Self-Stimulating Behaviors or “Stimming”
• SI = Sensory Integration
• SSI = Supplemental Security Income

• TA&D = Technical Assistance and Dissemination Network funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
• TANF = Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
• TBI = Traumatic Brain Injury
• TDD = Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf
• TS = Tourette syndrome
• TTY = Teletypewriter (phone system for the deaf)
• TWWIIA = Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act

• UDL = Universal Design for Learning

• VI = Visual Impairment
• Voc Ed = Vocational Education
• VR = Vocational Rehabilitation

• WIC = Women, Infants and Children (Special Supplemental Food Program)
• WWC = What Works Clearinghouse (Institute of Educational Sciences)
• WWSWD = Working with Scouts with Disabilities

Disclaimer: Autism Empowerment provides this information for reference as a free service to help you expand your knowledge. It is not a replacement to consulting trained professionals.  It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis or to recommend or reject a specific form of treatment. Please perform due diligence as you explore potential therapies, coping strategies or interventions. Thank you!