What do all these letters mean?
Parents of children with developmental delays or disabilities face many challenges, including learning a whole new vocabulary. This list is intended as a reference, to help navigate the various systems of help more easily.
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Acronym |
Stands for | Definition/Brief Explanation |
| ABA | Applied Behavioral Analysis | A scientific system for understanding behavior. The principles derived from analyzing behavior are used to make socially significant changes. Currently the standard of service for children with autism and other developmental disabilities.Parents of children with developmental delays or disabilities face many challenges, including learning a whole new vocabulary. This list is intended as a reference, to help navigate the various systems of help more easily.
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| ADD/ADHD
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Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficity Hyperactivity Disorder
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A family of related chronic neurobiological disorders that interfere with an individual's capacity to regulate activity level (hyperactivity), inhibit behavior (impulsivity), and attend to tasks (inattention) in developmentally appropriate ways.Parents of children with developmental delays or disabilities face many challenges, including learning a whole new vocabulary. This list is intended as a reference, to help navigate the various systems of help more easily.
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| Asperger Syndrome | A diagnosis for individuals who are at the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum. Individuals with Asperger syndrome may be very bright and capable, but also have serious difficulties with social interaction. They may also have unusually low tolerance for certain stimuli such as loud noise, bright lights, or crowds. |
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| ASD
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Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Neurobiological disorder which affects a child's ability to interact, communicate, relate, play, imagine, and learn. The term spectrum is important to understanding autism because of the wide range of intensity, symptoms and behaviors, types of disorders, and considerable individual variation. The autism spectrum consists of the following disorders: Autistic Disorder or Classic Autism, Rett's Disorder or Rett Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Asperger's Disorder or Asperger Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). |
| BI
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Behavior Interventionist
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Person who works directly with child to carry out intervention. |
| BCABA
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Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst
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Has a bachelors level education. Conducts descriptive and systematic (e.g., analogue) behavioral assessments, including functional analyses, and provides behavior analytic interpretations of the results. Consults with/receives supervision from the BCBA.
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| BCBA
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Board Certified Behavior Analyst
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Has a masters level education. Conducts descriptive and systematic (e.g., analogue) behavioral assessments, including functional analyses, and provides behavior analytic interpretations of the results. The BCBA designs and supervises behavior analytic interventions.
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| DTT
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Discreet Trial Training
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An intensive behavioral treatment that involves directly training a variety of skills that individuals with disabilities may not pick up naturally. Discrete training trials are based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis - children will be more likely to adopt behaviors when rewarded, and are less likely to adopt inappropriate behaviors for which they receive no reward.
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Echolalia or echolalic, also known as "Movie talk," "Scripting"
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The repetition of words, phrases, intonation, or sounds of the speech of others, "echoing" what has been heard. It is sometimes referred to as "movie talk" or "scripting" because the child can remember and repeat chunks of speech like repeating a movie script. Echolalia was once thought to be non-functional, but is now understood to often serve a communicative or regulatory purpose for the child.
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Hyper-responsiveness, also known as Over-reactivity to Sensory Input
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Abnormal sensitivity or over reactivity to sensory input, feeling overwhelmed by what most people would consider common or ordinary stimuli of sound, sight, taste, touch, or smell.
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Hypo-responsiveness, also known as Under-reactivity to Sensory Input
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Abnormal insensitivity or under-reactivity to sensory input, in which the brain fails to register incoming stimuli appropriately.
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| IDEA | The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act |
Passed in 1990, this law is the basis for all educational law as it related to individuals with disabilities.
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Incidental Teaching
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Capturing the motivation of the learner using events or activities natrually occuring within the environment to teach skills using the principles of ABA.
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| IEP
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Individualized Educational Program
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A legal document which defines a child with disabilities' personal goals and educational modifications.
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Joint Attention, also known as: Shared Attention and 3-Point Gaze
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When two people intentionally look at the same thing. Infants learn early to seek joint attention spontaneously by shifting gaze between an object of interest and another person and back to the object (also called 3-point gaze), following the gaze or point of others, and using gestures to draw others' attention to objects (e.g. holding out and showing an object or pointing to an object), either by pointing to it or by eye gaze.
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| LCSW
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Licensed Clinical Social Worker
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A professional with at least masters-level education who can provide counseling, case management, and behavioral intervention.
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| LD
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Learning Disability
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A childhood disorder characterized by difficulty with certain skills such as reading or writing.
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| MR
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Mental Retardation
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Limitations in mental functioning which cause a child to learn and develop more slowly than a typical child.
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| NET | Naturalistic Environment Training |
Using the principles of ABA to teach skills in the natural environment versus more structured skill building methods.
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| NPA
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Non-Public Agency
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An independent service provider, certified by the state to provide behavioral intervention in schools.
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Nonverbal
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A term that is often used to describe someone who does not use vocal verbal communication. According to B.F. Skinner's analysis of language, however, nonverbal behavior means behavior that is not reinforced through mediation by others.
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Obsessions
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Obsessions are repetitive thoughts that are persistent and intrusive. In young children, preoccupations with specific kinds of objects or actions may be an early sign of obsessions.
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| OCD
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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
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Some children with autism are also diagnosed with ODD.
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| OT
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Occupational Therapy or Therapist
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A profession that seeks to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. Occupational therapists achieve this outcome by enhancing the individual's ability to participate, by modifying the environment, or by adapting the activity to better support participation.
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| Perseveration | Repeating or "getting stuck" carrying out a behavior such as repeatedly putting in and taking out a puzzle piece when it is no longer appropriate.
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| Perseverative Speech, also known as Repetitive Use of Language | Repeating the same phrase or word over and over or bringing up the same topic repeatedly with a sense of "getting stuck" when it is no longer appropriate.
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| Pervasive | Existing in multiple areas at the same time. In autism and related disorders, "pervasive" refers to the fact that developmental delays exist in more than one area.
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| PDD-NOS
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Pervasive Developmental Disorder--Not Otherwise Specified
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A diagnosis for children who meet most, but not all, of the criteria for autism. PDD-NOS does not specify level of functioning and so may be used with individuals with varying levels of disability.
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| PDD
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Pervasive Developmental Disorders
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An umbrella term for a wide spectrum of disorders referred to as Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The terms PDD, Autism, and ASD are used interchangeably and are a group of neurobiological disorders that affect a child's ability to interact, communicate, relate, play, imagine, and learn.
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| PT
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Physical Therapy or Therapist
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A branch of rehabilitative health that uses specially designed exercises and equipment to help patients regain or improve their physical abilities.
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| PECS | Picture Exchange Card System | A system which uses pictures to help non-verbal children communicate.
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| PRT | Pivotal Response Training | A naturalistic behavioral treatment that involves training key "pivotal" behaviors that trigger widespread effects on many other, often untargeted behaviors associated with language and social interactions. PRT is based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis.
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| Pragmatics | Social rules for using functional spoken language in a meaningful context or conversation.
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| RC
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Regional Center
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In California, an independent non-profit organization contracted by the state to provide information, referral, and services for people with developmental disabilities within as specific geographic area (region).
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Repetitive Behaviors
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Odd or unusual recurring behaviors such as frequent and unusual movements with the body or with objects.
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| Repetitive Motor Mannerisms | Stereotyped or recurrent movements or posturing of the body, including mannerisms of the hands (such as hand-flapping, finger twisting or flicking, rubbing, or wringing hands), body (such as rocking, swaying, or pacing), and odd posturing (such as posturing of the fingers, hands, or arms).
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| Rituals | Specific and seemingly meaningless behaviors that are performed repeatedly in certain situations or circumstances.
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| Scripting, also known as Echolalia | The repetition of words, phrases, intonation, or sounds of the speech of others, sometimes taken from movies, but also sometimes taken from other sources such as favorite books or something someone else has said.
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| Self-Injurious Behavior, also known as Self Injury | The biologically or neurologically based intentional infliction of bodily harm such as bruises, redness, or cuts to oneself.
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| Self-Stimulating Behaviors or "Stimming," also known as Repetitive Motor Mannerisms, Stereotyped Movements of the Body, and Sensory Stimulation | Stereotyped or repetitive movements or posturing of the body, including mannerisms of the hands (such as hand-flapping, finger twisting or flicking, rubbing, or wringing hands), body (such as rocking, swaying, or pacing), and odd posturing (such as posturing of the fingers, hands, or arms), activities with objects (such as tossing string in the air or twisting pieces of lint) to provide sensory stimulation, communicate avoidance of demands, request a desired object or attention, or to self-soothe when wary or anxious.
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| Sensory Defensiveness | An abnormal reaction to ordinary sensory input.
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| Sensory Input | Both internal (e.g., heart rate, temperature) and external (e.g., sights, sounds, tastes, smells, touch, and balance) sensations.
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| SLP
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Speech Language Pathologist
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Also known as a Speech Therapist, they help people develop their speech and communication skills.
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Stereotyped Behaviors
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Behaviors that are repeated in an abnormal or excessive manner over time.
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| Stereotyped Language | An abnormal or excessive repetition of a word or phrase over time.
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| Stereotyped Patterns of Interest | A pattern of preoccupation with a narrow range of interests and activities.
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| Symbolic or Pretend Play, also known as Make-Believe Play, Social-Imitative Play, and Symbolic Play | When an individual uses their imagination to act as if they or an object are something or someone else, carrying out imaginary activities.
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| Tactile Defensiveness | A strong negative response to a sensation of touching that would not ordinarily be upsetting.
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| VB | Verbal Behavior | The behavior of communicating with others which involves both speaker and listening behavior. Verbal behavior is not limited to vocal verbal speech but may also include gestures and signs, for example. Based on B.F. Skinner's analysis of language, the acronym VB or AVB is often used in reference to teaching communication skills based on the function "or purpose" of the behavior rather than it's form.
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Psychological & Educational Services | 1427 North La Brea Avenue | Los Angeles, CA 90028 | Phone: 323.851-4577 | Fax: 323. 878-0443