The terminology that is used in speech therapy can be confusing at first to parents. Below is a glossary of acronyms of common terms and acronyms related to communication disorders that parents may encounter other than those outlined in the "Communication Disorders" section:
504 Plan: A type of plan developed to support students that is an alternative to an IEP that lists accommodations/modifications/other supports.
Annual IEP: ("Annual" for short) A yearly meeting to review a student's progress and determine what to do going forward.
Articulation: The use of the speech mechanism (tongue, teeth, lips, etc.) to produce speech sounds. (Sometimes referred to as "artic" for short.)
ASHA: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (the national association of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists)
Assessment (also called "Evaluation"): testing that is done to look at a student's strengths and weaknesses in communication (or other areas for other professionals, as applicable). An assessment can include many methods to evaluate a student's communication, including standardized testing, observation, informal testing, etc.
Assessment Plan: a form that parents may receive that explains what assessment a team is considering and seeks feedback from parents
CCC: Certificate of Clinical Competence (ASHA certification of Speech Language Pathologists) - a type of certification by the national organization for Speech Language Pathologists
Fluency: In speech terms, this is is used when describing stuttering. We talk about being able to speak fluently, which means without stutter. Dysfluency is another word for stutter.
IEP: Individualized Education Program, a document that describes a student's disability, strengths, present levels of functioning, services, and goals and accommodations and modifications if needed.
IEP Meeting: a meeting with staff members and families to discuss a student's skills, needs, and progress and review the IEP document and make any changes as needed.
IEP Team: This includes specialists, teachers, parents, and other applicable staff who work together to make decisions about how to best support the student. Older students are sometimes included in their IEP Team meetings.
Informal Assessment: Methods of evaluating a student's skills that are not formalized and cannot be used to compare to peers.
Lisp: An articulation disorder primarily on the "s" and "z" sounds. There are two primary types (see Resources).
Notice of Meeting: a form that parents may receive that explains that the team is proposing a time and place for a meeting and notifying parents of who may attend that allows parents to provide feedback on the proposed meeting
OT: Occupational Therapist
Percentile Rank: A standardized way of rating a student's skills in a particular area compared to peers their age. A percentile rank of 50 is considered average.
Pull-Out: Specialized services that are provided outside of the general education classroom.
Pragmatics: Speech term used to describe communication in a social context. This encompasses social skills.
Push-In: Specialized services that are provided within the classroom. This could be individual, small group, or whole class lessons.
Receptive Language: Listening and comprehending language
Expressive Language: Verbally expressing language
Scaled Score: Another method of rating a student's skills compared to peers their age.
Screening: a quick evaluation by a Speech Language Pathologist (or other professional, as applicable) to determine if further evaluation is recommended
SDC: Special Day Class
SLP: Speech Language Pathologist
Special Education: A term that broadly encompasses supports provided by an IEP to help a student at school. This includes things like speech therapy, occupational therapy, RSP services, Special Day Class, and other offerings. Not all students require all services, many students in special education simply have speech therapy. Service needs/recommendations are determined by the IEP team.
Standard Score: Another method of rating a student's skills compared to peers their age. A standard score of 100 is considered average.
Standardized Test: A formal speech and language test that is used to measure a student's skills and compare them to peers the student's age.
Triennial IEP: ("Triennial" or "Tri" for short) A meeting held every 3 years to review a student's progress and determine if they continue to require the support of special education services.
Voice: speech term referring to voice quality (hoarseness, harshness, stridor, etc.)