The beginning of a new school year brings an alphabet of abbreviations for parents of children who have special needs. If this is the very first school year that your child has been connected with a special education program, things can get a little confusing. Here is a quick list to help you understand what all the abbreviations mean.
Special education teachers, and the paraeducators that work with them, tend to shorten many of the terms that are used in “Special Ed”. This is because they use them so often, that it it becomes easier to put these terms into conversation in their shortened form. The educators all know exactly what the abbreviations stand for, so there isn’t a need to spell them all out.
Those same terms can be confusing for parents who have never come across them before. It can almost sound like a secret code! This quick list of commonly used abbreviations in special education can help you understand what everything means.
IDEA : Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
This is a national law that ensures services to children who have disabilities. It governs how states and public agencies, (such as public schools), provide things like early intervention, and special education related services. In plain English, this is the law that requires your child’s school to accommodate for your child’s special needs.
IEP: Individual Education Plan
This actually came from the IDEA. If your child is in a special education program, then he or she will end up having an IEP. This individualized plan is designed to help your child’s needs be met at school. It lets your child’s “team” be aware of the goals that have been set for your child to meet this school year, and how those goals will be implemented.
LRE: Least Restrictive Environment.
This term has significance when it comes time to figure out if your child will, or will not, be mainstreamed.
NOREP: Notice Of Recommended Educational Placement
Parents should be sent one of these when the school officially places their child into a special education program.
ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
ADD: Attention Deficit Disorder
OT: Occupational therapy (or occupational therapist)
PT: Physical therapy (or physical therapist)
SLT: Speech Language Pathologist
ED: Emotional Disturbance
EBD: Emotional Behavioral Disturbance
ESY: Extended School Year.
This is the more official term for what you might call a Summer School Program that is designed to meet your child’s special needs.
HI: Hearing Impaired
VI: Visually Impaired
OI: Orthopedic Impairment
OCD: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
SPD: Sensory Processing Disorder
PDD- NOS : Possible Developmental Delay – Not Otherwise Specified.
Basically, this means that your child could have a developmental delay, but it does not easily fit into the specific definition of any of them, or that they haven’t made a conclusion about what the delay is, exactly.
SDD: Significant Developmental Delay
AS: Asperger’s Syndrome
ASD: Autism Spectrum Disorder
TBI : Traumatic Brain Injury
LD: Learning Disability
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