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Alphabet Soup: What do the letters stand for?
An index of disability-related acronyms


 

 
 

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Alphabet Soup: What do the letters stand for?
An index of disability-related acronyms

By the Developmental Disabilities Council Leadership Committee and the Ohio Legal Rights Service
February 2004

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Acronyms and their definitions are listed in alphabetical order according to the acronym.


Acronyms beginning with A - B

AAC
Augmentative Alternative Communication
AAMR
American Association on Mental Retardation
AAPD
American Association of People with Disabilities
AARP
American Association for Retired Persons
ACBO
American Council of the Blind of Ohio
ABA
Applied Behavior Analysis
ADA
Americans with Disabilities Act
ADAAG
Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines
ADA-OHIO
Americans with Disabilities Act Ohio
ADAPT
American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today
ADC
Aid to Dependent Children
ADD
Administration on Developmental Disabilities
ADD
Attention Deficit Disorder (sometimes called ADHD)
ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (sometimes called ADD)
ADL
Activities of Daily Living
AFDC
Aid to Families with Dependent Children
AHEAD
Association on Higher Education and Disability
AIDS
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
AMA
American Medical Association
AMI
Alliance for the Mentally Ill (national)
ANI
Autism Network International
APE
Adaptive Physical Education
APHA
American Public Health Association
APPC
Advocating for Public Policy Change (ODDC grant)
APSE
Association for Persons in Supported Employment (national)
APSI
Adult Protective Services, Inc.
Arc
Arc of the United States (national), Association for Retarded Citizens
ASA
Autism Society of America
ASL
American Sign Language
ASLHA
American Speech - Language Hearing Association
AT
Assistive Technology
AUT
Autism
AWDNO
Artists with Disabilities Network of Ohio
BCMH
Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps (at ODH)
BDD
Bureau of Disability Determination (at RSC)
BI
Brain Injury
BLN
Business Leadership Network
BSVI
Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (at RSC)
BSW
Bachelor of Social Work
BWC
Bureau of Workers Compensation (state)
BVR
Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (at RSC)

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Acronyms beginning with C - E

CAFS
Community Alternative Funding System
CAP
Client Assistance Program
CARF
Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities
CBMRDD
County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities
CCD
Consortium on Citizens with Disabilities
CCD
Community Centers for the Deaf
CCDDD
Cincinnati Children's Division of Developmental Disabilities
CDC
Centers for Disease Control or Childhood Development Center
CEC
Council for Exceptional Children
CEU
Continuing Education Unit
CFR
Code of Federal Regulations
CHADD
Children with Attention Deficit Disorder
CHAS
Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy for Ohio
CMHC
Community Mental Health Center
CMI
Chronically Mentally Ill
CMS
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (formerly HCFA)
COEDI
Children's Ohio Eligibility Determination Instrument
COFEAT
Central Ohio Families for Early Autism Treatment
COG
Council of Governments
CP
Cerebral palsy
CPA-Ohio
Cerebral Palsy Association of Ohio
DAS
Department of Administrative Services (Ohio)
DD
Developmental Disabilities
DDC
Developmental Disabilities Council
DNOS
Disability Networks of Ohio - Solidarity, Inc.
DNR
Do Not Resuscitate
DOE
Department of Education
DOJ
Department of Justice
DOL
Department of Labor
DPC
Disability Policy Coalition (Ohio)
DPOA
Durable Power of Attorney
DREDF
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
Dx
Diagnosis
EC
Early Childhood
EDGAR
Education Department General Administrative Regulations (national)
EEOC
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
EI
Early Intervention
ENT
Ear, Nose and Throat
ESY
Extended School Year
ESL
English as a Second Language
EPSDT
Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment Program

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Acronyms beginning with F - H

FAPE
Free Appropriate Public Education
FAS
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
FC
Facilitated Communication
FERPA
Family Educational Rights to Privacy Act
FIN
Family Information Network (Ohio)
FFY
Federal Fiscal Year
FHA
Fair Housing Act
FMLA
Family Medical Leave Act
FRS
Family Resource Services
FSA
Family Support Act
FSC
Family Support Collaborative (currently referred to as the FSCouncil)
FSP
Family Support Plan
FTA
Federal Transit Authority
GAL
Guardian ad Litem
GCPD
Governor's Council on People with Disabilities
GLARRC
Great Lakes Area Regional Resource Center (ADA technical information)
HCBS
Home and Community Based Services
HCFA
Health Care Financing Administration (now known as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS)
HHA
Home Health Agency
HHS
Health and Human Services (federal)
HI or HOH
Hard of Hearing
HI
Hearing Impaired
HIPPA
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996
HIV
Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HMO
Health Maintenance Organization
HOH
Hard of Hearing
HUD
Housing and Urban Development (federal)
Hx
History

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Acronyms beginning with I - L

I & R
Information and Referral
IBMFE
Intervention Based Multi-Factored Evaluation
ICF
Intermediate Care Facility
ICF-MR
Intermediate Care Facility - Mental Retardation
ICP
Individualized Career Plan
ICU
Intensive Care Unit
IDEA
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (formerly known as P.L. 94-142 or Education for the Handicapped Act [EHA])
IDP
Inter-Disciplinary Plan
IEE
Individualized Education Evaluation
IEP
Individualized Education Plan
IFA
Individualized Functional Assessment
IFSP
Individualized Family Service Plan
IHO
Impartial Hearing Officer
IHP
Individualized Habilitation Plan
IL
Independent Living
ILC
Independent Living Center
IO
Individual Options Waiver
ILC
Independent Living Center
IPE
Individualized Plan for Employment
IPP
Individualized Program Plan
IQ
Intelligence Quotient
IRWE
Impairment Related Work Expense
ISP
Individualized Service Plan
ITP
Individualized Transition Plan
IWRP
Individualized Written Rehabilitation Plan
JTPA
Job Training Partnership Act
LD
Learning disability (sometimes called SLD)
LDA
Learning Disabilities Association (national)
LEA
Local Education Agency
LISW
Licensed Independent Social Worker
LOC
Level of Care
LRE
Least Restrictive Environment
LSC
Legislative Services Commission
LTC
Long-Term Care
LTCF
Long-Term Care Facility
LTCOP
Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

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Acronyms beginning with M - N

MBI
Medicaid Buy-In
MCHB
Maternal and Child Health Bureau (federal division of HHS)
MCS
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
MD
Muscular Dystrophy
MH
Multiply Handicapped
MI
Mentally Ill
MR
Mental Retardation or Mentally Retarded
MRDD
Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities
MRI
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
MS
Multiple Sclerosis
MSA
Medical Savings Account
MUI
Major Unusual Incident
NADDC
National Association of DD Councils
NAHA
National Affordable Housing Act
NAMI
National Alliance on Mental Illness
NAPAS
National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems
NASDSE
National Association of State Directors of Special Education
NCBDD
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (at CDC)
NCPAD
National Center on Physical Activity and Disability
NDSS
National Down Syndrome Society
NF
Nursing Facility
NFB
National Federation for the Blind
NEA
National Education Association
NICHCY
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
NICU
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
NIDRR
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
NIH
National Institutes of Health
NOD
National Organization for Disabilities
NOFA
Notice of Funds Available
NP
Nurse Practitioner
NPND
National Parents Network on Disabilities
NPO
Nothing by Mouth
NPRC
National Parent Resource Center

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Acronyms beginning with O - P

OAAS
Ohio Association of Adult Services
OACBMRDD
Ohio Association of County Boards of MRDD
OBIA
Ohio Brain Injury Association
OBRA
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act
OCECD
Ohio Coalition for Education of Children with Disabilities
OCIL
Ohio Center for Independent Living
OCR
Office of Civil Rights
OCRC
Ohio Civil Rights Commission
ODA
Ohio Department of Aging
ODADAS
Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services
ODDC
Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council
ODE
Ohio Department of Education
ODEP
Office of Disability Employment Policy (at DOL; formerly President's Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities)
ODH
Ohio Department of Health
ODJFS
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
ODMH
Ohio Department of Mental Health
ODMRDD
Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities
ODOT
Ohio Department of Transportation
ODYS
Ohio Department of Youth Services
OEDI
Ohio Eligibility Determination Instrument
OHFA
Ohio Housing Finance Agency
OIH
Ohio Industries for the Handicapped
OLRS
Ohio Legal Rights Service
OPI
Ohio Public Images, Inc.
OPRA
Ohio Private Residential Association
OSEP
Office of Special Education Programs
OSERS
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services
OSLA
Ohio Supported Living Association
OT
Occupational Therapy
PAS
Personal Assistant Services
PASARR
Pre-Admission Screen/Annual Resident Review
PASS
Plan for Achieving Self-Support
P&A
Protection and Advocacy
PCA
Personal Care Assistant
PABSS
Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security
PADD
Protection and Advocacy for Developmental Disabilities
PAIMI
Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness
PAIR
Protection and Advocacy for Individual Rights
PAR
Professional Association for Retardation
PASS
Plan for Achieving Self-Support
PCA
Personal Care Attendant
PCN
Primary Care Nurse
PCP
Primary Care Provider
PDD
Pervasive Developmental Disorder
PIE
Preschool and Infant Evaluation Program
PKU
PKU, which stands for Phenylketonuria, is an inherited metabolic disease (also called an inborn error of metabolism) that leads to mental retardation and other developmental disabilities if untreated in infancy.
PL
Public Law
PLAN
Planned Lifetime Assistance Network
POA
Power of Attorney
PPO
Preferred Provider Organization
PRN
Pro Re Nata (Latin for "as the situation demands")
PT
Physical Therapy
PTDS
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
PPO
Preferred Provider Organization

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Acronyms beginning with Q - S

QA
Quality Assurance
QMRP
Qualified Mental Retardation Professional
RESNA
Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America
RFP
Request for Proposal
RFW
Residential Facilities Waiver
RN
Registered Nurse
ROM
Range of Motion
RRC
Regional Resource Centers
RSA
Rehabilitation Services Administration (U.S.)
RSC
Rehabilitation Services Commission (Ohio)
Rx
Prescription
SABE
Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered
SAT
Scholastic Aptitude Test
SBE or SBOE
State Board of Education
SBH
Severe Behavioral Handicap
SB L-M
Stanford-Binet, Form L-M (language/memory)
SDE
Self-Directed Employment
SE
Special Education
SEA
State Education Agency
Section 504
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
SED
Seriously Emotionally Disturbed
SERRC
Special Education Regional Resource Center
SGA
Substantial Gainful Activity
SHRM
Society for Human Resource Management
SIB
Self-Injurious Behavior
SIL
Services for Independent Living
SILC
State Independent Living Council
SILP
Semi-Independent Living Program
SLD
Specific Learning Disability (sometimes called LD)
SNF
Skilled Nursing Facility
ST
Speech Therapy
SSA
Social Security Administration
SSD
Social Security Disability
SSDI
Social Security Disability Insurance
SSI
Supplemental Security Income

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Acronyms beginning with T - Z

TANF
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
TASH
Formerly, The Association for the Severely Handicapped
TBI
Traumatic Brain Injury
TDD
Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (Hard-of-Hearing, Deaf-Blind, and Speech-Disabled) (sometimes called TTY)
TESOL
Teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages
TPP
Transition Planning Process
TS
Tourette's Syndrome
TTY
Teletypewriter for the Deaf (Hard-of-Hearing, Deaf-Blind, and Speech-Disabled) (sometimes called TDD)
Tx
Treatment
TWWIIA
Ticket to Work & Work Incentives Improvement Act (federal)
UAF
University Affiliated Facility
UCPA
United Cerebral Palsy Association (national)
UHCAN
United Health Care Action Network
VA
Veterans Administration
VR
Vocational Rehabilitation
VSA
Vision, Strength & Artistic Expression (national and state) - Arts
W3C
World Wide Web Consortium
WAI
Web Accessibility Initiative
WAIS
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (psychological evaluation)
WE
Work Evaluation
WIC
Women, Infants and Children program
WISC
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (psychological evaluation) (sometimes called WISC-R or WISC-III)
YLF
Youth Leadership Forum

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Information about this publication

This publication was produced by the Ohio Legal Rights Service (OLRS), in partnership with the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council Leadership Committee. OLRS is partially funded by grants under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (administered by the Administration for Developmental Disabilities, United States Department of Health and Human Services); the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Act (administered by the Center for Mental Health Services, United States Department of Health and Human Services); the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (administered by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, United States Department of Education); The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA) of 1999 (administered by the Office of Employment Support Programs, Social Security Administration); and with additional funding from the State of Ohio General Revenue Funds.

This publication is available on request:
Ohio Legal Rights Service
50 West Broad Street, Suite 1400
Columbus, Ohio 43215-5923
Telephone: 1-614-466-7264 or 1-800-282-9181 (toll free in Ohio)
TDD: 1-614-228-2553 or 1-800-858-3542 (toll free TDD in Ohio)
FAX: 1-614-644-1888
Web: http://olrs.ohio.gov

Ohio Legal Rights Service does not discriminate in provision of service or employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, military service, disability, or age.

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