Learning-related Acronyms and Phrases for Parents of School-aged Kids ACT: American College Testing What it is: A national college admissions exam ADD/ADHD: Attention Deficit/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder What it is: A learning struggle associated with weak attention skills – and sometimes accompanied by hyperactivity AP: Advanced Placement What it is: College-level curriculum offered in high school ASD: Autism Spectrum Disorders What it is: Complex disorders of the brain that create difficulties in social interaction and verbal and nonverbal communication, sometimes accompanied by repetitive behaviors AYP: Adequate Yearly Progress What it is: Whether a school (or student) has met the standard requirements CAPD: Central Auditory Processing Disorder What it is: A disorder characterized by an inability to process the information being heard DD: Developmental Delay What it is: A lag in hitting typical physical, cognitive, behavioral, emotional or social milestones 8. ECSE: Early Childhood Special Education What it is: Individualized instruction and services for those (usually) 3 to 5 years old ESL: English as a Second Language What it is: A program that teaches English to non-native speakers GPA: Grade Point Average What it is: An average of a student’s letter grades (e.g. A=4.0, B=3.0) GT: Gifted and Talented What it is: A term for students with an exception level of aptitude IEP: Individualized Education Program What it is: A customized set of steps and goals to help a struggling student excel LD: Learning Disability What it is: A difficulty learning in the “typical” manner OCD: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder What it is: An anxiety disorder characterized by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing fear or worry ODD: Oppositional Defiant Disorder What it is: An ongoing pattern of hostile behavior and disobedience beyond the norms of typical childhood tantrums PP: Paraprofessional What it is: Often, a teacher’s assistant who has been trained to help students with learning struggles PSAT: Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test What it is: A practice test for future college admissions exams like the SAT and ACT SAT: Scholastic Aptitude Test What it is: The most widely used college admissions exam SLI: Speech/Language Impairment What it is: An ongoing primary spoken communication disorder STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics What it is: An interdisciplinary approach to teach science and mathematics by integrating technology and engineering into curriculum that is driven by exploratory learning and problem-solving 21. Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities What it is: The newest version serves to replace the third edition and is said to contain the greatest breadth of cognitive abilities of any standardized body of tests that identify learning problems.