Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education Terms
NECTAC maintains an Acronym List
of terms as a reference to the
often confusing alphabet soup of agency, organization, and program names.
Please send us any you think we should
include. An abbreviated list of these acronyms is included in our publication,
Speaking the Language - Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education Terms:
Dictionaries, Glossaries and the NECTAC Acronym List - (2008) 
(PDF: 107kb) .
To find additional acronyms and abbreviations
go to the Acronym Finder.
The following is a list of resources that contain definitions of early intervention and early childhood special education terms. A number of these are available online.
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DEC Recommended Practices: A Comprehensive Guide for Practical
Application in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education..
(2005). Sopris West.
This book provides guidance on effective practices for young children with disabilities, their families, and the personnel who serve them. After an introductory section, chapters describe recommended practices in the following areas: (1) assessment; (2) child-focused practices; (3) family-based practices; (4) interdisciplinary models; (5) technology applications; (6) policies, procedures, and systems change; and (7) personnel preparation. Each of these chapters contains a glossary of terms used and there is a combined glossary at the end of the book. -
The Early Intervention Dictionary: A Multidisciplinary Guide to
Terminology.
(2006). Woodbine House.
The Early Intervention Dictionary defines hundreds of medical, therapeutic, and educational terms commonly used in the early intervention field. This new edition reflects changes in the field: new research, educational approaches, and treatments, as well as new terminology. It is designed to help parents and the many different professionals in the early intervention field understand one another and successfully collaborate. -
Special Education Dictionary - Revised Edition.
(2007). LRP Publications.
The Special Education Dictionary contains definitions of more than 1,400 terms used in the special education field. The 2007 Edition includes terms that are relevant to IDEA 2004 and the 2006 IDEA Part B regulations, such as resolution sessions, response to intervention (RTI), serious bodily injury. The dictionary also covers topics such as: the No Child Left Behind Act; childhood disabilities and diseases; general legal terms relevant to special education law; diagnostic instruments used in evaluations; and more.
Available Online
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Defining Child Abuse and Neglect. (2007). Child Welfare Information Gateway.
This page on the Child Welfare Information Gateway Web site provides definitions of child abuse and neglect from Federal and State laws, and resources that distinguish between discipline and abuse. -
Dictionary of Developmental Disabilities Terminology - Second Edition
.
(2003). Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Now in its second edition, this fully searchable online dictionary provides clear, concise, and trustworthy definitions of thousands of disorders, assessment tools, theories, anatomical terms, medications, interventions, diagnoses, professional organizations, and more. -
Finding Help for Young Children with Disabilities (Birth-5): Parent's Guide 2
(Updated March 2005). NICHCY. (PDF: 122kb)
This online parent guide contains definitions of terms commonly used early in intervention and early childhood special education. The definitions are not necessarily endorsed by the U.S. Dept. of Education. -
Glossary of Assessment Terminology.
(Retrieved November 2008). New Assessment: Early Childhood Resources.
The mission of the New Assessment: Early Childhood Resources Web site is to advance the field of early childhood and intervention in the area of assessment by promoting recommended practices including innovative assessment models, processes and resources that benefit young children and their families. This glossary provides definitions of assessment terminology used on the Web site. -
Glossary of Child Welfare Terms (Updated 2008). Child Welfare Information Gateway.
This Glossary identifies commonly held definitions for terms that can be found on the Child Welfare Information Gateway website. It defines common acronyms and includes links to information on major Federal legislation and related child welfare terms. Also available: Child Welfare Terms, English to Spanish and Términos del bienestar de menores, Del español al inglés -
Glossary of Policy & Advocacy Terms:
A Guide to the ABCs and Acronyms of the Infant-Toddler Policy Process.
(2008). ZERO TO THREE.
This online glossary from ZERO TO THREE defines commonly used federal and state legislative terms and acronyms, and effective advocacy terms and techniques for those in the infant-toddler field. -
Glossary of Terms Related to English Language Learners
(2005). Head Start Bulletin #78: English Language Learners.
This glossary contains terms related to the education of young linguistically and culturally diverse children. It comes from the AskNCELA glossary (PDF: 364kb) , published by the National Clearinghouse
for English Language Acquisition & Language Instruction Educational Programs.
- MCH Thesaurus.
(Retrieved November 2008). Maternal and Child Health Library.
The 3rd edition of the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Thesaurus provides the MCH professional community with a standard vocabulary that serves as a tool for indexing and retrieving materials in any MCH research center, library, or special collection. This edition consists of an introduction; alphabetical list of terms; a rotated list of terms; a set of subject categories; and a search function to search MCHLine® for specific terms. -
Navajo Glossary of Early Childhood Special Education.
(Retrieved November 2008). University of New Mexico, Center for
Development and Disability.
This online glossary provides definitions of terms frequently used in early childhood special education. It includes the Navajo translations for each term, as well as audio access to spoken pronunciations. -
Online Dictionary of Special Education Terms (2008). The IRIS Center.
This online dictionary from the IRIS Center contains terms related to the field of special education and includes a helpful cross-referencing feature. -
Terminology in the Early Childhood Field
(August 2004). Clearinghouse on Early Education and Parenting.
This resource discusses the need to adopt commonly accepted terms in the early care and education field. It is organized into the following 9 sections: (1) Overview of issues related to early childhood terminology; (2) Care vs. education?; (3) Professionalism in early childhood education; (4) Defining specific terms; (5) Conclusion; (6) References; (7) Web Resources; (8) Reference Book Resources; and (9) ERIC Resources. -
Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors.
(Retrieved November 2008). Education Resources Information Center (ERIC).
The Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors is the master list of more than 10,000 terms or subject headings used in indexing and searching the ERIC (Educational Resources and Information Center) Database. -
The Words We Use: A Glossary of Terms for Early Childhood Education
Standards and Assessment .
(Retrieved November 2008). Council of Chief State School Officers.
As federal and state policies about standards and assessment for young children assume increased prominence, it is also increasingly important to create a common language about early learning standards and assessments--linked to the language used with respect to the education of older children and yet capturing relevant differences in how these terms are conceptualized and defined for young children's lives. This lexicon was developed as a tool to help stakeholders "begin on the same page" when discussing issues related to early childhood education standards and assessment, and conceived as an essential foundation when building a system for successful early learners.
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