The world of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) is full of acronyms. Here we’ve listed many of the common ones in use by medical, therapeutic and educational professionals.
Acronym: AAC
Name: Assistive Augmentative Communication
Definition: A speech-language therapists’ term for communication using a picture board or recorded messages activated by buttons, etc.
Acronym: ABA
Name: Applied Behavior Analysis
Definition:
Acronym: ADA
Name: Americans with Disabilities Act
Definition: US Federal law governing the rights of persons with disabilities with regard to employment and other issues
Acronym: ADD
Name: Attention Deficit Disorder
Definition:
Acronym: ADHA
Name: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Definition:
Acronym: ADI
Name: Autism Diagnostic Interview
Definition: Diagnostic scale for autism.
Acronym: ADOS
Name: Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale
Definition: Autism diagnostic tool
Acronym: AGRE
Name: Autism Genetic Resource Exchange
Definition: Program that collects and reviews DNA samples
Acronym: AIA Network
Name: Autism, Intolerance and Allergy Network
Definition: Goup looking at issues of autism and food allergies
Acronym: AIT
Name: Auditory Integration Training
Definition:
Acronym: ANDI
Name: Autism Network for Dietary Intervention
Definition:
Acronym: ARI
Name: Autism Research Institute
Definition:
Acronym: ARRI
Name: Autism Research Review International
Definition: newsletter
Acronym: AS
Name: Asperger Syndrome
Definition:
Acronym: ASA
Name: Autism Society of America
Definition:
Acronym: ASD
Name: Autism Spectrum Disorders
Definition: Refers to the group of autism diagnosis
Acronym: ASL
Name: American Sign Language
Definition:
Acronym: AUTCOM
Name: Autism National Committee
Definition: Organization dedicated to social justice
Acronym: CAN
Name: Cure Autism Now
Definition: Autism advocacy organization now part of Autism Speaks
Acronym: CARS
Name: Childhood Autism Rating Scale
Definition: Autism rating scale/diagnostic tool
Acronym: CDC
Name: Center for Disease Control
Definition:
Acronym: CF
Name: Casein Free
Definition:
Acronym: DAN
Name: Defeat Autism Now
Definition:
Acronym: DAS
Name: Developmental Apraxia of Speech
Definition:
Acronym: DD
Name: Developmental Disabilities
Definition: Term used to refer to all developmental disabilities including autism
Acronym: DDS
Name: Department of Developmental Services
Definition: CT state agency
Acronym: DMG
Name: Dimethylglycine
Definition: Amino acid used in autism treatment
Acronym: DSM
Name: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
Definition: Book listing the criteria for autism disgnosis. Currently edition IV-R.
Acronym: DSS
Name: Department of Social Services
Definition: CT State Agency
Acronym: DTI
Name: Discrete Trial Intervention
Definition: A method of teaching based on behavioral techniques breaking content into small chunks and teaching individual tasks through trials. See also DTT
Acronym: DTT
Name: Discrete Trial Training
Definition: A method of teaching based on behavioral techniques breaking content into small chunks and teaching individual tasks through trials. See also DTI
Acronym: DVD
Name: Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia
Definition: See Developental Apraxia of Speech (DAS)
Acronym: EAHCA
Name: Education for All Hanidcapped Children Act
Definition: The original name of IDEA
Acronym: EEG
Name: Electroencephalogram
Definition: Test used to detect seizures
Acronym: EFA
Name: Essential Fatty Acids
Definition:
Acronym: ELAP
Name: Early Learning Accomplishments Profile
Definition: Evaluation Checklist
Acronym: FAPE
Name: Free and Appropriate Public Education
Definition:
Acronym: FC
Name: Facilitated Communication
Definition:
Acronym: FEAT
Name: Families for Early Autism Treatment
Definition: Autism advocacy organization dedicated to applied behavioral analysis and techniques as intervention for autism
Acronym: GARS
Name: Gilliam Autism Rating Scale
Definition: Autism rating scale/checklist for diagnosis
Acronym: GF
Name: Gluten free
Definition:
Acronym: HFA
Name: High Functioning Autism
Definition: Descriptive term for someone with autism who usually has language skills and intact IQ
Acronym: ID
Name: Intellectually Disabled
Definition: The more appropriate term for someone with an IQ of less than 70.
Acronym: IDEA
Name: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Definition: The federal law that governs special education.
Acronym: IEP
Name: Individualized Education Plan
Definition: The plan that is developed by the team (IEP team or PPT team) that describes the educational programming for a child with a disability
Acronym: IFSP
Name: Individualized Family Service Plan
Definition: The plan put together in the Birth-3 system for services to be provided to a child under the age of 3 with a disability
Acronym: LCSW
Name: Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Definition:
Acronym: LD
Name: Learning Disability or Learning Disabled
Definition:
Acronym: LKS
Name: Landau-Kleffner Syndrome
Definition: A specific neurological disorder
Acronym: LRE
Name: Least Restrictive Environment
Definition: Under the law (IDEA), children must be educated in the LRE for that child.
Acronym: M-CHAT
Name: Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers
Definition: Autism screening tool
Acronym: MR
Name: Mentally Retarded
Definition: Usually refers to a person with an IQ of under 70. More appropriately referred to as ID (intellectually disabled)
Acronym: MRI
Name: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Definition:
Acronym: MSDD
Name: MultiSystem Developmental Disorder
Definition: Dr. Stanley Greenspan’s term for autism-like symptoms
Acronym: NAS
Name: National Autistic Society
Definition: UK advocacy organization
Acronym: NICHCY
Name: National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities
Definition:
Acronym: NIH
Name: National Institutes of Health
Definition:
Acronym: NIMH
Name: National Institutes for Mental Health
Definition:
Acronym: NOS
Name: Not Otherwise Specified
Definition: Part of PDD-NOS an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis
Acronym: NT
Name: Neuro-typical
Definition: Used to describe a person who does not have an autism spectrum disorder
Acronym: OCD
Name: Obssessive Compulsive Disorder
Definition:
Acronym: OCR
Name: Office for Civil Rights
Definition: US Government agency, part of Health and Human Services, that deals with discrimination and civil rights.
Acronym: ODD
Name: Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Definition:
Acronym: OT
Name: Occupational therapy/therapist
Definition:
Acronym: PANDAS
Name: Pediatric Autoimmune Disorders Associated with Strep
Definition:
Acronym: PDD
Name: Pervasive Developmental Disorder
Definition: An umbrella term – autism disorders are part of the larger category of pervasive developmental disorders
Acronym: PDD-NOS
Name: Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified
Definition: A specific autism diagnosis
Acronym: PECS
Name: Picture Exchange Communication System
Definition:
Acronym: PEP
Name: Psycho-educational profile
Definition: A profile of a child’s educational issues
Acronym: PPT
Name: Planning and Placement Team
Definition: The CT term for the IEP team
Acronym: PRT
Name: Pivotal Response Training
Definition:
Acronym: PT
Name: Physical Therapy/Therapist
Definition:
Acronym: SI
Name: Sensory Integration
Definition:
Acronym: SIB
Name: self-injurious behavior
Definition:
Acronym: SID
Name: Sensory Integration Disorder
Definition:
Acronym: SLP
Name: Speech -Language Pathologist
Definition: A person trained to diagnose and treat speech and language disorders
Acronym: SSI
Name: Social Security Income
Definition:
Acronym: SSRI
Name: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor
Definition:
Acronym: TEACCH
Name: Treatment and Edcuation of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children
Definition:
Acronym: TS
Name: Tourette’s Syndrome
Definition: