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Helpful Acronyms
A Guide to Special Education

Produced by New York Congress of Parents and Teachers, Inc. (NYS PTA) and New York State United Teachers (NYSUT)

Often educators and others will use an abbreviation (acronym) to describe a term such as a service, disability or agency. The following is a list of commonly used acronyms:

  • ADA: American with Disabilities Act

  • ADD/ADHD: Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder

  • APE: Adaptive Physical Education

  • AE: Age Equivalent

  • ASL: American Sign Language

  • AT: Assistive Technology

  • 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

  • FAPE: Free and Appropriate Public Education

  • FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

  • IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

  • IEP: Individualized Education Program

  • IH: Impartial Hearing

  • IQ: Intelligence Quotient

  • LD: Learning Disabled

  • LRE: Least Restrictive Environment

  • MR: Mentally Retarded

  • OHI: Other Health Impaired

  • OT: Occupational Therapy

  • PDD: Pervasive Developmental Disorder

  • PT: Physical Therapy

  • SED: State Education Department

  • SEIT: Special Education Itinerant Teacher Services

  • SETRC: Special Education Training Resource Centers

  • SI: Speech Impaired

  • TBI: Traumatic Brain Injury

  • TDD: Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf

  • VESID: Office of Vocational & Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities

  • VI: Visually Impaired

  • VR: Vocational Rehabilitation

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New York State Parent–Teachers Association. Recognizing that every child deserves excellence in education and in quality of life, the New York State Parent–Teachers Association’s obligation is to maintain its commitment and service to all children and to its diverse membership through increased parent and community awareness, advocacy, education, and involvement. With more than 395,000 members statewide in over 1600 local units and councils in 16 districts. Members include parents, teachers, students, and other child advocates.

New York State United Teachers is a federation of more than 900 local unions representing nearly 480,000 people who work in, or are retired from, New York's schools, colleges, and healthcare facilities. The NYSUT membership includes classroom teachers, college and university faculty and professional staff, school bus drivers, custodians, secretaries, cafeteria workers, teacher assistants and aides, nurses, psychologists and healthcare technicians.

YSUT.org. Copyright New York State United Teachers. 800 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, New York, 12110-2455. 518.213.6000. http://www.nysut.org. For questions about this web site, contact the webmaster at bthomas@nysutmail.org.