ABA- Applied Behavior Analysis
 
ACCESS- Plastic identification card issued to Medical Assistance recipients.
 
ADA- Americans with Disabilities Act
 
ADD- Attention deficit disorder
 
ADHD- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
 
AIDS- Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
 
APS- Approved Private School
 
ASD- Autism spectrum disorder
 
ASL- American sign language
 
AT- Assistive Technology
 
Assistive Technology Device- Equipment used to maintain or improve the capabilities of a child 
with a disability.
 
AVT- Area vocational technical school
 
AYP- Annual Yearly Progress
 
BD- Behavior disordered
 
BEC- Basic Education Circular
 
BIP- Behavior Intervention Plan
 
COP- Communities of Practice
 
Due Process Hearing- An administrative hearing before an impartial hearing officer
 
EDGAR- Education Department General Administrative Regulations
 
EHA- Education for All Handicapped Children Act. It was renamed in 1990 to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  In the 2004 revisions, it was renamed to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA’04)
 
Early Intervention- Special education and related services according to IDEA provided to children under the age of 5.
 
ED- Emotionally disturbed
 
EI- Early intervention
 
EPSDT- Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment
 
ER- Evaluation Report
 
ESEA- Elementary and Second Education Act
 
ESL- English as a Second Language
 
ESOL- English to Speakers of Other Languages
 
ESY- extended school year
 
FAPE- free appropriate public education
 
FBA- Functional Behavioral Assessment
 
FERPA-Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. FERPA deals with confidentiality and access 
to student records
 
HI- Hearing Impaired
 
IAES- Interim Alternative Educational Setting
 
ICC- Interagency Coordinating Council
 
IDEA-Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act – federal law that protects children with disabilities right to a free appropriate public education.

ID- Intellectual Disability
 
IEE - Independent Educational Evaluation – if a parent disagrees with the results of the evaluation the school district performed they can request an IEE.
 
IEP - Individualized education plan – must be conducted yearly – an extremely important document stating what level the child is currently learning in, his strengths and weaknesses, what is expected in the next year, how they intend to educate the child and related services.
 
IFSP - Individualized family service plan – must be conducted bi-yearly for special needs children from 0-3 yrs. of age – an extremely important document stating what level the child is currently learning in, his strengths and weaknesses, what is expected in the next year, how they will assist the family in order to ensure that the child is benefiting from his/her educational services and/or placement, and related services.
 
Inclusion- The practice of educating children with special needs in regular education classrooms in their neighborhood schools
 
IQ-Intelligence quotient. An IQ score is an artificial number that is used to indicate levels of mental development, not to be confused with persons capabilities.
 
LD- Learning disabled
 
LEA- Local education agency
 
LEP- Limited English Proficiency
 
LRE-Least restrictive environment - LRE is the concept of educating children with disabilities in an 
educational environment that allows them to participate to the maximum extent possible with their non-disabled peers.
 
LTF- Local Task Force
 
MA- Medical Assistance
 
Mainstreaming- The practice of placing children with disabilities in regular education classrooms to the maximum extent possible.
 
MAWA- Mutually Agreed Upon Written Agreement
 
MD- Multiple Disabilities
 
MDE- Multidisciplinary Evaluation
 
MDT- Multidisciplinary Team
 
Mediation- A meeting to resolve issues between school and home amicably, for it is voluntary 
thusly both parties must agree to it.
 
NCLB- No Child Left Behind
 
NOREP- Notice of Recommended Educational Placement – is issued after an IEP meeting and states type of placement and level of service to be provided, parents must sign for their approval or disapproval.
 
OCD- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
 
 
ODD- Oppositional Defiant Disorder
 
ODR- Office for Dispute Resolution
 
OHI- Other health impaired
 
OSEP- Office of Special Education Programs
 
OT- Occupational Therapy - therapy for fine motor skills
 
OVR- Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
 
PASA- Pennsylvania Alternative System of Assessment – for children who can not because of their sever disabilities take the PSSA.  (Grades 3, 5, 8, & 11)
 
PBI- Positive Behavioral Interventions
 
PDD- Pervasive Developmental Disorder
 
P.L. 94-142- The original public law number of the EHA.
 
PSSA-Pennsylvania System of School Assessment – All children are tested, including special education children, must make accommodations for child to participate. (Math & Reading at grades:3,5,8,& 11, Writing at grades: 5,8, & 11) If a child can’t participate then the PASA should be administered.
 
PT-Physical Therapy - Therapy for gross motor skills
 
 
Reasonable Accommodation- An adoption of a facility or program for a child with a disability that can be accomplished without undue administrative or financial burden
 
Related Services- Services to supplement special education, such as counseling services, behavioral therapy, and occupational therapy.
 
Resolution Session- According to IDEA’04 must be requested before a Due Process can be requested.  The parties (parents & school) try to resolve the issues amicably.
 
Resource Room- A special education placement that is provided in conjunction with or as a supplement to a child’s regular education program.
 
SDI-Specially Designed Instruction
 
SEA- State Education Agency
 
Section 504- Part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that provides that program recipients that receive federal funds can not discriminate on the basis of a child’s disability.
 
SED- Seriously emotionally disturbed
 
SDI-Specially Designed Instruction - modification or changes to the general curriculum instruction necessary to implement the goals, benchmarks, and objectives of a child’s IEP.
 
SLD- Specific Learning Disability
 
Special Education-Educational programs and placements provided according to IDEA
 
TBI- Traumatic Brain Injury
 
Transition Services -A service to facilitate movement from school to the workplace or high education that must be included in the IEP at the age of 14.
 
TMR- Trainable mentally retarded
 
TTY- Teletypewriter
 
VAAS- Value Added Assessment System
 
​VI- Visually Impaired