Acronyms I've Become Familiar With

I've always used acronyms.  I've always gone to the YMCA, RSVP'd ASAP for parties where I had to BYOB, and ate PBJs and BLTs and drank OJ.  Lately I really appreciate the AC.

The special needs world taught me a whole new list of acronyms.  Now you might hear me utter any of these in regular conversation:

ECSE - Early Childhood Special Education
ESY - Extended School Year
DAPE - Developmentally Appropriate Physical Education (gym class, in the typical world)
FAPE - Free and Appropriate Public Education
BIP - Behavior Intervention Plan
IEP - Individualized Education Plan (what we've had through the school district ever since the boys turned 3)

IFSP - Indvidualized Family Support Plan (what we had through the school district before the boys turned 3)

PCP - Person Centered Plan
FST - Family Skills Training (ABA therapists helping me learn how my kids think and function)
FBA - Functional Behavioral Assessment
IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

LRE - Least Restrictive Environment (what our kids are supposed to be educated in)

PECS - Picture Exchange Communication System  (tiny little square pictures of things like The Wiggles and Doritos that I find all over my house)

ADL - Activities of Daily Living  (and how are you doing with your ADLs?)

DD - Developmentally Delayed

FERPA - Family Education Rights and Privacy Act

OT - Occupational Therapy (or therapist) (learning to play, eat, drink, and perform their ADLs)

PT - Physical Therapy (or therapist) (swinging, bouncing, jumping, stretching, etc.)

SLP - Speech Language Pathologist

ABA - Applied Behavioral Analysis

SCUBA - Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (just kidding about that one)

So now if I were to say this you'd understand:

My kids qualify for ESY through ECSE and will learn to use their PECS and work with their SLP in the LRE, and then they'll have DAPE which their IEPs require because it helps them work on their ADLs and PT, according to the IDEA.