Guide to Helpful Special Education Acronyms

Educators and others in the special education community will use an acronym to describe a service, disability or agency. Here is a list of commonly used acronyms:

ADA         Americans with Disabilities Act
ADD         Attention Deficit Disorder 
ADHD         Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder
APE         Adaptive Physical Education
AE         Age Equivalent
AIS         Academic Intervention Services
ASL         American Sign Language
AT         Assistive Technology
BIP         Behavior Intervention Plan
BOCES         Board of Cooperative Educational Services
BOE         Board of Education
CPSE         Committee on Preschool Special Education
CSE         Committee on Special Education
DD         Developmental Disability
ED         Emotionally Disabled
ESEA         Elementary and Secondary Education Act
ESY         Extended School Year Services 
FAPE         Free and Appropriate Public Education
FBA         Functional Behavioral Assessment
FERPA         Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
IAES         Interim Alternative Educational Setting 
IDEA         Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 
IEP         Individualized Education Program 
IEE         Independent Educational Evaluation 
IHO         Impartial Hearing Officer 
IQ         Intelligence Quotient 
LD         Learning Disabled 
LRE         Least Restrictive Environment 
NCLB         No Child Left Behind
OHI         Other Health Impaired 
OT         Occupational Therapy
PDD         Pervasive Developmental Disorder
PT         Physical Therapy 
RR         Resource Room
RtI         Response to Intervention
SAI         Specialized Academic Instruction
SED         State Education Department
SEIT         Special Education Itinerant Teacher Services
SETRC         Special Education Training Resource Centers
SGI         Small Group Instruction
SI         Speech Impaired
TBI         Traumatic Brain Injury
TDD         Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf
UDL         Universal Design for Learning
VESID         Office of Vocational & Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities
VI         Visually Impaired 
VR         Vocational Rehabilitation
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