Common Special Education Terms & Acronyms

  • AAC Augmentative and Alternative Communication
    ABA Applied Behavioral Analysis
    Accommodation Adaptations that provide access to the gen ed curriculum but do not fundamentally alter the learning goal or grade level standard
    ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
    ADL Activities of Daily Living
    AFSP Individualized Family Service Plan (required as part of First Steps)
    aimsweb Screening and progress monitoring system
    APE Adapted Physical Education
    ASD Autism Spectrum Disorder
    ASL American Sign Language
    AT Assistive Technology
    AU Autism
    BCFR Boone County Family Resources
    BIP Behavior Intervention Plan
    Case Manager Specialist responsible for the management of the IEP for the specific student
    CBM Curriculum Based Measurement
    CWC Class within a Class
    Department Chair Specialist designated at the building level to serve as the liaison between the building and district office
    DPR Daily Progress Report
    DTT Discrete Trial Training
    ECSE Early Childhood Special Education
    ED Emotional Disturbance
    Educational Diagnostician Specialist responsible for the academic testing during a special education evaluation
    EL English Learner
    EOC End of Course Assessments - 4 required by Missouri for graduation
    ER Evaluation Report
    ESY Extended School Year
    FAPE Free Appropriate Public Education
    FBA Functional Behavioral Assessment
    HI Hearing Impaired
    IAP OR 504 Individual Accommodation Plan - 
    ID Intellectual Disability
    IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
    IEE Independent Educational Evaluation
    IEP Individualized Education Plan
    Instructional Mentor Specialist responsible for the instructional training/mentoring of staff
    ISS In School Suspension
    LEA Local Educational Agency (local school district)
    LEP Limited English Proficiency
    LI Language Impaired
    LRE Least Restrictive Environment
    MAP (or GLA) Missouri Assessment Program OR Grade Level Assessment
    MAP-A Alternate Missouri Assessment Program OR Grade Level Assessment
    MLS Missouri Learning Standards
    Modification changes to the curriculum and assessments that do fundamentally alter the learning goal or grade level expectation
    MSB Missouri School for the Blind
    MSD Missouri School for the Deaf
    NOA Notice of Action
    NOM Notification of Meeting
    O&M Orientation & Mobility
    OCD Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
    ODD Oppositional Defiant Disorder
    OHI Other Health Impairment
    OI Orthopedic Impairment
    OSS Out of School Suspension
    OT Occupational Therapist
    PBIS Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
    PBS Positive Behavioral Supports
    PDD Pervasive Developmental Disorder
    PDD-NOS Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified
    PLEP Present Level of Educational Performance
    Process Coordinator Specialist responsible for compliance oversight and training in IEP development
    PT Physical Therapist
    ROI Release of Information
    ROP Record of Participants (sign-in sheets for IEP and Eval meetings)
    RTI Response to Intervention
    School Psychologist Specialist responsible for the cognitive and behavioral assessments as well as writing the evaluation report during a special education evaluation
    SI Speech Impairment
    SLD Specific Learning Disability
    SLP Speech Language Pathologist
    SRG Standards Referenced Grading
    STAR Assessments Screening and progress monitoring system for reading and math
    TBI Traumatic Brain Injury
    Transition Referenced in two scenarios:  1) term used to describe planning for "post-secondary transition," which must occur during the IEP cycle when the child is turning 16;  2) term also used to describe when a child is moving from one building to another.
    US & MO Constitution Test Required by MO for graduation
    VI Visual Impairment
    VR Vocational Rehabilitation
    VRC Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
    WEC Work Experience Coordinator
    WIDA-ACCESS State assessment administered for English Language Learners
    YCDD Young Child with a Developmental Delay