Alphabet Soup: Acronyms Commonly Used in Special Education

Agencies/Organizations
Acronym Definition
CBS Children's Behavioral Services
CEC Council for Exceptional Children
DB-Link National Information Clearinghouse on Children who are Deaf-Blind
DRC Desert Regional Center
HKNC Helen Keller National Center
ICC Interagency Coordinating Council
NDALC Nevada Disability Advocacy & Law Center
NDOE Nevada Department of Education
NEC*TAS National Early Childhood Technical Assistance System
NEIS Nevada Early Intervention Services
NFADB National Family Association for Deaf-Blind
NNCIL Northern Nevada Center for Independent Living
NTAC National Technical Assistance Consortium for Children and Youth with Deafblindness 
NSETAP Nevada Special Education Technology Assistance Project
NV PEP Nevada Parents Encouraging Parents
OSEP Office of Special Education Programs (U.S. Dept. of Education)
RRC Rural Regional Center
SNCIL Southern Nevada Center for Independent Living
SRC Sierra Regional Center
WRRC Western Regional Resource Center

 

Common Terminology
Acronym Definition
AAC Augmentative and Alternative Communication
ADD Attention Deficit Disorder
ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder
APE Adapted Physical Education
AT Assistive Technology
BD Behavior Disorder
BIP Behavior Intervention Plan
CNS Central Nervous System
CVI Cortical Vision Impairment
DB Deafblind
DD Developmentally Delayed
ECSE Early Childhood Special Education
EI Early Intervention
ESL English as a Second Language
FBA Functional Behavioral Assessment
HI / HH Hearing Impaired / Hard of Hearing
IEP Individualized Educational Plan
IFSP Individualized Family Service Plan
LD Learning Disabled
LEA Local Education Agency
MH Multiply Handicapped
MR Mental Retardation
NASSA Nevada Alternate Scale of Academic Achievement
OT Occupational Therapy or Occupational Therapist
PBS Positive Behavior Support
PLOP Present Levels of Performance
PT Physical Therapy or Physical Therapist
SED Severely Emotionally Disturbed
SLP Speech and Language Pathologist
TA Technical Assistance
TBI Traumatic Brain Injury
VI Visually Impaired

Laws/Regulations
Acronym Definition
ADA Americans With Disabilities Act
IDEA Individuals With Disabilities Education Act
NCLB No Child Left Behind
NAC Nevada Administrative Code
NRS Nevada Revised Statues