Sometimes the Special Education community would seem to use more acronyms than the military. While engaged parents pick up on the terms that are relevant to protecting their child’s interests quickly, here is a list of common special education acronyms for the uninitiated:
1:1 – One-to-one
ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act (also seen as ADAAA or Americans with Disabilities Act, As Amended)
ABA – Applied Behavioral Analysis
APE – Adaptive Physical Education
AT – Assistive Technology
BSEA – Bureau of Special Education Appeals
DSM – Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association
EI – Early Intervention
ESD - Extended School Day
ESY - Extended School Year
FAPE – Free Appropriate Public Education
FBA – Functional Behavioral Assessment
FERPA – Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
IAES – Interim Alternative Educational Setting
IDEA – Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act
IEP – Individual Educational Plan
IEE – Independent Educational Evaluation
LEP – Limited English Proficiency
LRE – Least Restrictive Environment
NCLB – No Child Left Behind
OT – Occupational Therapy
PLEP – Present Level of Educational Performance
PT – Physical Therapy
SL – Speech Language
