| AANE |
Asperger's Association of New England |
| ABA |
Applied Behavioral Analysis |
| ABC |
Autism Behavior Checklist |
| ABI |
Adaptive Behavior Inventory |
| AC |
Autistic Cousin (see "COUSIN") |
| AC |
Autistics and Cousins |
| ACCESS |
Autistic Continuum Connections, Education, and Support Site |
| ADD |
Attention Deficit Disorder |
| ADHD |
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder |
| ADVISE |
[definition needed] |
| AFAIK |
"As Far As I Know" |
| AFGO |
"Another Fine Growth Opportunity" (sarcastic: means a difficult problem to solve) |
| AGUA |
Adult Gathering, United and Autistic |
| AIT |
Advanced Individual Training |
| AIT |
Auditory Integration Therapy |
| ALE |
Alternative Learning Experience |
| ALJ |
Administrative Law Judge |
| ANI |
Autism Network International |
| ANI-L |
The listserv (mailing list) for Autism Network International |
| APD |
Auditory Processing Disorder |
| APE |
Adaptive Physical Education |
| ARD |
Admission, Review, Dismissal (used in Texas) |
| AS |
Asperger's Syndrome (DSM IV 299.80) |
| AS |
Autistic Spectrum |
| ASA |
Autism Society of America |
| ASD |
Autistic Spectrum Disorder |
| ASI |
Autism Society of Illinois |
| ASPEN |
ASPEN of America - Asperger Syndrome Education Network, Inc., National advocacy/support organization |
| ASPEN |
ASPEN of New Jersey (not affiliatied with ASPEN of America) |
| ASPEN |
Asperger Syndrome Parent Education Network |
| ASPIE |
A person with Asperger's Syndrome (informal, don't use unless sure it won't offend) |
| ATI |
[definition needed] |
| BBRS |
Burks' Behavior Rating Scale |
| BD |
Behavioral Disorder |
| BD/ED |
Behavior Disordered / Emotionally Disturbed |
| BIC |
Behavior Improvement Class |
| BIP |
Behavior Improvement Plan |
| BMP |
Behavior Management Plan |
| BOCES |
Board Of Cooperative Educational Services |
| BP |
Bi-Polar (formerly called "manic-depressive") |
| BTW |
"By The Way" |
| CAN |
Cure Autism Now - advocacy organization |
| CAPD |
Central Auditory Processing Disorder |
| CARD |
Center for Autism and Related Disorders (used in Maryland) |
| CARD |
Committee for Admission, Review, Dismissal (used in Texas) |
| CARD |
Committee for Autism and Related Disabilities (used in Florida) |
| CARS |
Childhoold Autism Rating Scale (diagnostic and evaluation tool) |
| CD |
Conduct Disorder |
| CNS |
Central Nervous System |
| CO |
Conference |
| COSAC |
Center for Outreach and Services for the Autistic Community (New Jersey) |
| COTA |
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant |
| COUSIN |
Someone who has some autistic-spectrum characteristics to the extent that he/she can identify with autistic folks even if not formally diagnosed |
| CP |
Cerebral Palsy |
| CPS |
Canadian Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialities |
| CPS |
Child Protective Services |
| CSE |
Committee for Special Education (called "MDT" in some states) |
| CST |
Child Study Team |
| CV |
Curriculum Vitae (a resume) |
| CVPD |
Central Vision Processing Disorder |
| CYA |
California Youth Authority |
| DAN |
Defeat Autism Now! (organizational site at http://www.autism.com/ari/dan.html) |
| DAS |
Differential Abilities Scales |
| DCD |
Development Coordination Disorder (DSM IV 315.4) |
| DD |
Development Disorder |
| DD |
Developmental Disabilities |
| DH |
Developmentally Handicapped |
| DHS |
Department of Human Services |
| DMG |
Dimethyl Glycine |
| DPT |
A triple inoculation given to kids: Diptheria, Pertussis (whooping cough), Tetanus |
| DR |
Disability Rights |
| DREDF |
Disability Rights Education Defense Fund |
| DSM |
Diagnostic Statistical Manual - enormous industry-standard catalogue of medical diagnoses |
| DSM-IV |
Diagnostic Statistical Manual (edition IV) - the current version of this publication |
| DSMR |
Diagnostic Statistical Manual (Revised) - preceded DSM-IV |
| DTVMI |
Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration |
| DX |
Diagnosis |
| EBD |
Emotional Behavioral Disorder |
| ECSE |
Early Childhood Special Education |
| ECT |
ElectroConvulsive Therapy (electroshock) |
| ED |
Emotionally Disturbed |
| EEG |
ElectroEncephaloGram (basically, a graph of brain-wave activity) |
| EFD |
Executive Functioning Disorder |
| EI |
Early Intervention |
| EIBI |
Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention |
| EKG |
ElectroCardioGram (basically, a graph of the heart's electrical activity) |
| EPD |
Enzyme Potentiated Desensitization (say this one right the first try & win a prize!) |
| EPSDT |
Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment |
| ESD |
Educational Service District |
| ESE |
Exceptional Student Education |
| ESL |
English as a Second Language |
| ESY |
Extended School Year |
| EYSD |
Extended Year Special Ed |
| F2F |
"Face to Face" |
| FADD |
Feline Attention Deficit Disorder -- High-dysfunctioning autistic cat can't get enough attention |
| FAPE |
Free Appropriate Public Education |
| FAQ |
Frequently Asked Questions (an info sheet in Q&A format) |
| FAS |
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome |
| FDA |
Food and Drug Administration |
| FERPA |
Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act |
| FNS |
Fuzzy Neuron Syndrome (associated with FADD) |
| FOIA |
Freedom Of Information Act |
| FWIW |
"For What It's Worth" |
| GAF |
Global Assessment of Functioning scale |
| GT |
Get Together |
| HFA |
High Functioning Autism (defined as autism occurring without mental retardation, e.g. w/ IQ 70 or higher) |
| HH |
Hard of Hearing |
| HH |
HouseHold |
| HHM |
[definition needed] |
| HMO |
Health Medical Organization |
| HSLDA |
Home School Legal Defense Organization |
| IBS |
Irritable Bowel Syndrome |
| ICDM |
A book (used by health insurors for billing purposes) which classifies diseases by numbers |
| IDEA |
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act |
| IEP |
Individual Education Plan |
| IFLACA |
"I Feel Like A Complete Ass" (used as an apology) |
| IIRC |
"If I Recall Correctly" |
| IME |
Independent Medical Examination |
| IMHO |
"In My Humble Opinion" |
| IMMV |
"Individual Mileage May Vary" (meaning "your experiences might be different") |
| IMNSHO |
"In My Not So Humble Opinion" |
| IMO |
"In My Opinion" |
| IMVHO |
"In My Very Humble Opinion" |
| InLv |
Independent Living (support group) |
| IOW |
"In Other Words" |
| IQ |
Intelligence Quotient |
| IRB |
Institutional Review Board |
| IRCA |
Indiana Resource Center for Autism |
| ISP |
Internet Service Provider |
| IU |
Intermediate Unit (used in PA) |
| JA |
Just Average (phrase is widely disliked and may offend) |
| LD |
Learning Disability |
| LEA |
Local Education Agency |
| LEA |
Local Education Authority |
| LEAP |
[definition needed] |
| LFA |
Low-Functioning Autism (defined as autism occurring with mental retardation, e.g. w/ IQ lower than 70) |
| LLD |
Language-based Learning Disability |
| LMK |
"Let Me Know" |
| LOL |
"Laugh Out Loud" |
| LOL |
"Laughing Out Loud" |
| LOL |
"Lots Of Love" (used as a closing phrase in correspondence) |
| LOLROF |
"Laughing Out Loud, Roll On Floor" |
| LRE |
Least Restrictive Environment (phrase used in IDEA) |
| M-D |
Manic Depression (now called bipolar depression) |
| MAAP |
More Able Autistic Persons (support group) |
| MBD |
Minimum Brain Dysfunction |
| MDLC |
Maryland Disability Law Center |
| MDO |
Major Depressive Disorder |
| MDT |
Multi-Disciplinary Team (called "CSE" in some states) |
| MFC |
Marriage and Family Counselor |
| MFCC |
Marriage, Family, and Child Counsellor |
| MFE |
Multi-Factored Evaluation |
| MIL |
Mother-In-Law |
| MMR |
Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccination |
| MPD |
Multiple Personality Disorder |
| MR |
Mental Retardation, Mentally Retarded (IQ less than 70) |
| MRI |
Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
| NAAR |
National Alliance for Autism Research |
| NACD |
National Academy of Child Development |
| NBAC |
National Bioethics Advisory Commission |
| NBD |
Nazi Band Director |
| NDA |
Not Diagnosed with Anything (informal usage) |
| NICHCY |
National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities |
| NIH |
National Institute for Health |
| NOD |
Moving your head up and down in agreement with what you are reading (blame this on on Judy!) |
| NOD |
Not Otherwise Diagnosed |
| NORD |
National Organization for Rare Disorders |
| NOS |
Not of Specific Origin |
| NOS |
Not Otherwise Specified, usually seen as PDD-NOS |
| NP |
"No Problem" |
| NPD |
Normal Person Disorder (used jokingly) |
| NPND |
National Parent Network on Disabilities |
| NS |
Noonan's Syndrome |
| NT |
Neurologically Typical (no diagnosible neurological disorder) |
| NT |
Neurotypical (no diagnosible neurological disorder) |
| NVLD |
Non-Verbal Learning Disability |
| NYD |
Not Yet Diagnosed (informal usage) |
| NYS |
New York State |
| OAAC |
Office of Advocacy for Autistic Children |
| OASIS |
On-line Asperger's Syndrome Information and Support (organizational site at http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger) |
| OB |
Obligatory |
| OB |
Specific to |
| OCB |
Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior |
| OCD |
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder |
| OCR |
Office of Civil Rights |
| ODD |
Oppositional-Defiant Disorder |
| ODE |
Oregon Department of Education |
| OHI |
Other Health Impaired |
| OIC |
"Oh, I See" |
| OPM |
Other People's Money |
| OPM |
Over-Protective Mom |
| ORS |
Office of Rehabilitation Services |
| OSEP |
Office of Special Education Programs (located Washington, DC) |
| OSERS |
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services |
| OT |
Occupational Therapist |
| OT |
Occupational Therapy |
| OTOH |
"On The Other Hand" |
| OVR |
Office of Vocational Rehabilitation |
| P&A |
Protection & Advocacy |
| PA |
Parents' Auxiliary |
| PANDAS |
Pediatric Autoimmune Neurological Disorder Associated with Strep |
| PAVE |
Parents Are Vital in Education |
| PDD |
Pervasive Developmental Disorder |
| PDR |
Physician's Desk Reference |
| PET |
Positron Emission Tomography |
| PITA |
"Pain In The Ass" |
| PK |
Psychokinesis (moving things with the mind, a form of ESP) |
| PKU |
Phenylketonuria |
| POHI |
Physically or Otherwise Health Impaired |
| POV |
Point Of View |
| PPL |
People |
| PPO |
Preferred Physician Organization |
| PPO |
Preferred Provider Option |
| PPS |
Poor Parenting Syndrome |
| PPS |
Pupil Personnel Services |
| PQ |
Performance IQ |
| PRT |
Pivotal Response Training |
| PT |
Physical Therapist |
| PT |
Physical Therapy |
| PTIC |
Parent Training and Information Center |
| PTSD |
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder |
| PwD |
People with Disabilities |
| Q&A |
Question-and-Answer, generally referring to a document format |
| RL |
Real Life |
| ROFL |
"Rolling On Floor Laughing" |
| ROFLMAO |
"ROFL My Arse Off" |
| ROFLSHCT |
"Rolling On the Floor Laughing So Hard Can't Type" |
| RPITB |
"Royal Pain In The Butt" |
| S&LP |
Speech and Language Pathologist |
| SAD |
Seasonal Affective Disorder (aka "Wintertime Depression") |
| SAH Mom |
Stay-At-Home Mom |
| SBH |
(?) Severe Behavior Handicap |
| SD |
School District |
| SED |
Severe Emotional Disorder |
| SED |
Severely Emotionally Disturbed |
| SELPA |
Special Education Local Plan Area (used in CA) |
| SERRC |
Special Educational Regional Recourse Center |
| SI |
Sensory Integration |
| SIAT |
Society for Integrative Auditory Training |
| SIB |
Self-Injurious Behavior |
| SIPT |
Sensory Integration and Praxis Text |
| SLK |
Severely Labeled Kid |
| SLP |
Speech and Language Pathologist |
| SM |
Selective Mutism |
| SNT |
Special Needs Trust |
| SSD |
Social Security Disability |
| SSI |
Supplemental Security Income |
| SSRI |
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (class of meds, incl. Prozac, Zoloft, Praxil, Luvox) |
| SST |
Student Study Team (used in CA) |
| STRANS |
Survey of Teenage Readiness And Neurodevelopmental Status |
| SULP |
Social Use of Langauge Programme |
| SVSU |
Southern Vermont Supervisory Union |
| TAN |
Tangentially |
| TEACCH |
Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Disorders |
| TIC |
"Tongue In Cheek" |
| TKD |
Tae Kwon Do (a martial arts discipline) |
| TLA |
Three-Letter Acronym |
| TLS |
Transitional Living Services - sort of a halfway-house organization |
| TLS |
Turbocharged Lycoming Saber (if you're an aviation buff) |
| TOM |
Theory of Mind |
| TOPL |
Test of Pragmatic Language |
| TS |
Tourette's Syndrome |
| TSS |
Therapeutic Support Staff |
| TTFN |
"Ta-Ta For Now!" |
| TTYL |
"Talk To You Later" |
| TTYS |
"Talk To You Soon" |
| UK |
United Kingdom ("England," to Americans) |
| USPDI |
United States Prescription Drug Information |
| VAERs |
Vaccine Adverse Experience Reports (published by FDA) |
| VCF syndrome |
Vera-Cardio-Facial syndrome |
| VP |
Virtual Party |
| VPIC |
Vermont Parent Information Center |
| VQ |
Verbal IQ |
| VR |
Vocational Rehabilitation |
| WAIS |
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (an IQ test) |
| WDW |
Walt Disney World (Orlando, FL) |
| WIIA |
Work Incentives Initiative Act |
| WISC |
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (an IQ test) |
| WNA |
Word Nitpickers Anonymous |
| WTG |
"Way To Go!" |
| Y2K |
Year 2000 (If the people who made up this panic knew what they were talking about they'd also understand that "Y2K" is actually 2048 AD.) |
| Y2K Bug |
Potential computational problem caused by some software using 2-digit numbers for year. Enormously overhyped. |
| YMMV |
"Your Mileage May Vary" (meaning, individual experiences could be different) |
| YO |
Year Old |
Abbreviations