Words Worth Knowing

The terms and acronyms you’ll run into across school, healthcare and support & services, from IEP and MET to ALTCS and AAC. Each one is explained in plain English, with its name in Spanish. Some definitions describe how things work in Arizona; we’ll add other states’ terms as they come online.

Tip: press Ctrl+F (or ⌘+F on a Mac, or “Find on page” on your phone) to search for a word.

#A B C D E F G H IK L M N O P Q R S TV W

0–9

5-day notice (eviction): Español: Aviso de 5 días (desalojo); In Arizona, the written notice a landlord must give before filing an eviction for unpaid rent. It says the lease will end if rent isn’t paid within 5 days.
504 plan: Español: Plan 504; A school plan under Section 504 that gives a student accommodations, like extra time or a quiet space, so they have equal access to learning.

A

AAC (Augmentative and alternative communication): Español: CAA (Comunicación aumentativa y alternativa); Ways to communicate besides speech, like picture boards, sign language, or a speech-generating device or app. The IEP team must consider a student’s communication needs, including AAC.
ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis): Español: ABA (Análisis Conductual Aplicado); A therapy that teaches skills and reduces behaviors that get in the way, using structured practice and rewards. Some autistic adults criticize some forms of it, so ask how a provider works.
ABC data (Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence): Español: Datos ABC (Antecedente, Conducta, Consecuencia); A simple way to track behavior: what happened just before (antecedent), what the person did (behavior), and what happened right after (consequence). It helps teams find patterns and is often part of an FBA.
ABLE account: Español: Cuenta ABLE; A tax-advantaged savings account for a person with a disability. Since January 2026, people whose disability began before age 46 can qualify (it used to be before 26). Money in it generally doesn’t count against SSI or AHCCCS limits, within the program’s rules. In 2026, up to $20,000 a year can be added, and the first $100,000 doesn’t count against SSI.
Accommodation: Español: Adaptación (acomodación); A change in how a student learns or is tested, like extra time or seating near the teacher, without changing what they’re expected to learn.
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act): Español: ADA (Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades); A federal civil rights law that protects people with disabilities from discrimination at work, in public places and more.
Adapted physical education (APE): Español: Educación física adaptada (APE); Physical education changed to fit a student with a disability. It’s a special education service written into the IEP.
ADE (Arizona Department of Education): Español: ADE (Departamento de Educación de Arizona); The state agency that oversees public schools, including special education. It handles state complaints, mediation and facilitated IEP meetings.
ADHD: Español: TDAH (ADHD); Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: ongoing patterns of inattention, hyperactivity or impulsivity that affect daily life.
ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised): Español: ADI-R (Entrevista para el Diagnóstico del Autismo, Revisada); A long, structured interview with a parent or caregiver about a person’s development and behavior, used in some autism evaluations.
ADL (Activities of daily living): Español: AVD (Actividades de la vida diaria); Everyday self-care tasks like eating, bathing, dressing, using the toilet and moving around. Agencies look at them when deciding eligibility for programs like ALTCS.
ADOS-2: A play- or conversation-based observation often used in autism evaluations. It’s one helpful tool, but it doesn’t diagnose on its own; the clinician’s full judgment does.
Adult day program (DTA): Español: Programa de día para adultos (DTA); Day Treatment and Training for Adults: a DDD day program where adults build skills, take part in activities and spend time in their community.
Adult developmental home: Español: Hogar de desarrollo para adultos; A licensed individual’s private home where 1 to 3 adults with developmental disabilities live and get support 24 hours a day, through DDD.
Affidavit: Español: Declaración jurada (affidavit); A written statement of facts that the writer swears or affirms is true, often signed in front of a notary.
Aging out: Español: Salir del sistema por edad (aging out); Leaving special education because of age. In Arizona, services end after the school year in which a student turns 22, if they haven’t earned a regular diploma.
AHCCCS: Arizona’s Medicaid program. People say it like "access."
ALJ (Administrative law judge): Español: ALJ (Juez de derecho administrativo); The judge who hears due process hearings, State Fair Hearings and other agency appeals. In Arizona, most work at the Office of Administrative Hearings.
ALTCS: The Arizona Long Term Care System, AHCCCS’s program for people who need long-term care. It can pay for many DDD services. People say it like "all-tex."
Annual guardian report: Español: Informe anual del tutor; A report an Arizona guardian files with the court every year about the person’s health, living situation and care. The first one is due within a year of appointment. Conservators also file yearly accountings of the money.
APS (Adult Protective Services): Español: APS (Servicios de Protección para Adultos); The Arizona agency that looks into abuse, neglect or exploitation of vulnerable adults, including adults with disabilities: 1-877-SOS-ADULT (1-877-767-2385).
ASD (Autism spectrum disorder): Español: TEA (Trastorno del espectro autista); The medical name for autism. "Spectrum" means autism looks different in each person, and the support each person needs varies.
ASDB (Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind): Español: ASDB (Escuelas Estatales de Arizona para Sordos y Ciegos); State schools and services for children who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have low vision, from early intervention through high school.
Asperger’s syndrome: Español: Síndrome de Asperger; An older diagnosis, used until 2013, for autism with typical language and intelligence. It’s now part of autism spectrum disorder. Some people still use the word for themselves.
ASRS (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale): Español: ASRS (Escala de Autoevaluación del TDAH en Adultos); A short screening questionnaire for adult ADHD. A high score means an evaluation may be worth it; it isn’t a diagnosis.
Assistive technology (AT): Español: Tecnología de asistencia (AT); Any device or tool that helps a person with a disability do something, from pencil grips to tablets and communication devices. A school must provide it if the IEP team decides the student needs it. AzTAP lends devices to try.
Attendant care: Español: Cuidado de asistente (attendant care); Hands-on help with daily needs like bathing, dressing, eating and moving around, provided through ALTCS.
AuDHD: An informal community term for having both autism and ADHD. It isn’t an official diagnosis. Since 2013, clinicians can diagnose both together, and many adults have been diagnosed with only one.
Auditory processing disorder (APD or CAPD): Español: Trastorno del procesamiento auditivo (APD o CAPD); Trouble making sense of sounds, especially speech in noisy places, even though hearing tests are normal. An audiologist diagnoses it.
Autistic burnout: Español: Agotamiento autista (burnout); Long-lasting exhaustion, often after a long time of masking or stress. A person may lose skills for a while and have less tolerance for noise or demands. It can last weeks to months; rest and fewer demands help.
AzEIP: The Arizona Early Intervention Program: services for babies and toddlers, birth to age 3, with delays or conditions like Down syndrome.

B

BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan): Español: BIP (Plan de Intervención de Conducta); A written plan that uses an FBA to prevent a behavior, teach replacement skills, and guide how adults respond. It focuses on support, not punishment.
Blue Envelope (Arizona): Español: Sobre azul (Blue Envelope, Arizona); A free envelope from ADOT MVD for autistic drivers or passengers. It holds vehicle papers and emergency contacts, plus instructions that help the person and an officer communicate during a traffic stop.

C

CAM (Complementary and alternative medicine): Español: MCA (Medicina complementaria y alternativa); Health approaches outside standard medical care. Complementary means used together with standard care. Alternative means used instead of it. Talk with your doctor before starting anything, and never stop a prescribed medicine to try one.
CART captioning: Español: Subtitulado CART; Communication Access Realtime Translation: a trained captioner types what’s said in real time so a person can read it, at a meeting, class or appointment. It can be requested as an accommodation.
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate): Español: CASA (Defensor Especial Nombrado por el Tribunal); A trained community volunteer a judge appoints in a dependency case to get to know the child and speak up for the child’s best interests, including school and disability needs.
CBT (Cognitive behavioral therapy): Español: TCC (Terapia cognitivo-conductual); A talk therapy that helps a person notice and change patterns in thoughts and actions. Adapted versions can help autistic people and people with ADHD manage anxiety and other challenges.
Center for Independent Living (CIL): Español: Centro de Vida Independiente (CIL); A nonprofit run by and for people with disabilities that helps with independent living skills, finding housing, advocacy and peer support. Arizona has five.
Cerebral palsy (CP): Español: Parálisis cerebral (PC); A group of conditions that affect movement and posture, caused by differences in the developing brain. It’s one of the conditions DDD serves.
Certificate of completion: Español: Certificado de terminación; A credential some schools give students who finish high school without meeting the requirements for a regular diploma. In Arizona, it doesn’t end special education services.
CFT (Child and Family Team): Español: CFT (Equipo del Niño y la Familia); A team that plans behavioral health services for a child or teen on AHCCCS, and in DCS cases. It includes the family, the young person, providers and others the family chooses, and the family’s voice leads.
Child developmental home (CDH): Español: Hogar de desarrollo para niños (CDH); A licensed family’s home where a child with a developmental disability lives and gets support, through DDD.
Child Find: Español: Child Find (Búsqueda de niños); The rule that schools must find and evaluate children who may have disabilities, even if they’re passing their classes.
Child Study Team (SST): Español: Equipo de Estudio del Niño (SST); A school team, sometimes called a Student Study Team, that meets when a teacher or parent raises concerns, to try supports in class. It can’t be used to delay an evaluation you asked for in writing.
Civil Rights Division (Arizona): Español: División de Derechos Civiles (Arizona); The Arizona Attorney General’s office that takes complaints about discrimination in employment, housing, public places and voting under Arizona law.
Co-occurring conditions: Español: Condiciones concurrentes; Two or more conditions a person has at the same time, like autism and ADHD, or ADHD and anxiety. They’re common in neurodivergent people, and one can hide another.
Community Action Program (CAP): Español: Programa de Acción Comunitaria (CAP); A local agency that helps with rent, utilities and other basic needs. Most Arizona cities and counties have one; 211 can find yours.
Conners rating scales: Español: Escalas de Conners; Questionnaires filled out by parents, teachers or the person themselves about ADHD-related behaviors. Used as part of an evaluation, not alone.
Consent: Español: Consentimiento; Your written permission. The school needs it before a first evaluation and before starting special education services. Some schools call the form Permission to Evaluate (PTE).
Conservator (conservatorship): Español: Conservador (conservaduría); A person appointed by a court to manage the money and property of an adult who can’t manage them. It’s separate from guardianship, which covers personal decisions. A court can appoint one or both.
Court investigator (guardianship): Español: Investigador del tribunal (tutela); A person the court sends in an adult guardianship case to interview the person, the petitioner and others, visit the home, and report to the judge on whether guardianship is needed.
Court-appointed attorney (guardianship): Español: Abogado nombrado por el tribunal (tutela); In Arizona, an adult facing guardianship must have a lawyer of their own. If they don’t have one, the court appoints one to represent their wishes.
Court-ordered evaluation (COE): Español: Evaluación ordenada por el tribunal (COE); An Arizona legal process for a mental health evaluation when a mental disorder makes someone a danger to themselves or others, or seriously disabled, and they won’t get help on their own. Start through 911, 988, a crisis line or your county’s screening provider.
CRS (Children’s Rehabilitative Services): Español: CRS (Servicios de Rehabilitación Infantil); An AHCCCS designation for members under 21 with certain chronic or disabling health conditions, like cerebral palsy or spina bifida. Care is coordinated through the member’s health plan.

D

Day Treatment and Training for children (DTT): Español: Tratamiento y Capacitación Diurna para niños (DTT); A DDD program for school-age children with developmental disabilities, after school (DTT) or in summer (DTS), that builds skills and social connection.
DCS (Department of Child Safety): Español: DCS (Departamento de Seguridad Infantil); Arizona’s child welfare agency. Report suspected child abuse or neglect to its hotline: 1-888-SOS-CHILD (1-888-767-2445).
DD (Developmental delay): Español: DD (Retraso del desarrollo); In Arizona schools, a special education category for children ages 3 through 9 who are well behind in one or more areas of development. It’s different from a developmental disability, which is what DDD serves.
DDD: Arizona’s Division of Developmental Disabilities. It serves people with autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, intellectual disability or Down syndrome.
DDD Health Plan: Español: Plan de salud de DDD; The health plan that covers medical and behavioral health care for DDD members on ALTCS. Since October 2019 these are Mercy Care and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. American Indian and Alaska Native members can choose the DDD Tribal Health Program instead.
DDD service codes: Español: Códigos de servicio de DDD; Three-letter codes DDD uses for services on plans and authorizations. Common ones: ATC attendant care, HAH hourly habilitation, RSP respite, DTA adult day program, DTT after-school program for children, ISE and GSE supported employment, TRA transportation, and OCT, PHT and SPT for occupational, physical and speech therapy.
DDS (Disability Determination Services): Español: DDS (Servicios de Determinación de Discapacidad); The state agency that decides the medical part of SSI and SSDI applications for Social Security. In Arizona it’s part of DES.
Deeming: Español: Atribución de ingresos (deeming); Counting a parent’s income and resources when deciding a child’s SSI. It stops at age 18, so many young adults qualify for SSI then even if they didn’t as children.
Dependency case: Español: Caso de dependencia; A juvenile court case that starts when DCS says a child isn’t safe at home. Parents have the right to a lawyer. A child’s disability services, IEP and DDD eligibility continue through the case.
DES (Arizona Department of Economic Security): Español: DES (Departamento de Seguridad Económica de Arizona); The state agency that runs DDD, Vocational Rehabilitation and other programs for Arizona families.
Developmental Disabilities Council (ADDPC): Español: Consejo de Discapacidades del Desarrollo (ADDPC); The Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council: a federally funded state council that works to improve services and gives grants for projects that help people with developmental disabilities and their families.
Developmental pediatrician: Español: Pediatra del desarrollo; A pediatrician with extra training in children’s development, learning and behavior, including autism and ADHD.
Diagnostic evaluation: Español: Evaluación diagnóstica; An evaluation focused on a specific question, like whether a person has ADHD, autism, both, or something else.
Diagnostic overshadowing: Español: Eclipsamiento diagnóstico; When new signs are blamed on a diagnosis someone already has, so another condition gets missed.
Direct Care Worker (DCW): Español: Trabajador de Cuidado Directo (DCW); A trained worker who provides in-home care like attendant care or habilitation. In PPCG, a parent can be hired as one.
Direct Support Professional (DSP): Español: Profesional de Apoyo Directo (DSP); A worker who helps a person with a disability with daily life, skills and community activities. Arizona often uses the term Direct Care Worker (DCW).
Discharge plan: Español: Plan de alta; The hospital’s written plan for after a patient goes home: medicines, follow-up appointments, warning signs and who to call.
DME (Durable medical equipment): Español: DME (Equipo médico duradero); Equipment prescribed for long-term medical use at home, like wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds and some communication devices. AHCCCS and insurance usually need a prescription and prior approval.
DSM-5-TR: The manual of official diagnostic criteria that clinicians use to diagnose conditions like autism and ADHD.
Dual diagnosis: Español: Diagnóstico dual; Having both an intellectual or developmental disability and a mental health condition, like anxiety or depression. Both need attention, and it can take extra effort to find providers experienced with both.
Due process hearing: Español: Audiencia de debido proceso; A formal hearing to settle a special education disagreement between a family and the school.
Dyscalculia: Español: Discalculia; A learning disability that makes understanding numbers and math hard.
Dysgraphia: Español: Disgrafía; A learning disability that makes handwriting and putting thoughts on paper hard.
Dyslexia: Español: Dislexia; A learning disability that makes reading, spelling and sounding out words hard, even with good teaching. It isn’t related to intelligence.

E

ECAP (Education and Career Action Plan): Español: ECAP (Plan de Acción Educativa y Profesional); A plan every Arizona student in grades 9 through 12 keeps about their school, career and after-high-school goals. For students with an IEP, it works alongside the transition plan.
EEOC: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: the federal agency that takes complaints about job discrimination, including disability discrimination. 1-800-669-4000.
Eligibility categories (special education): Español: Categorías de elegibilidad (educación especial); Arizona’s categories are autism (A), developmental delay (DD), emotional disability (ED), hearing impairment (HI), intellectual disability (MIID, MOID, SID), multiple disabilities (MD and MD-SSI), other health impairment (OHI), orthopedic impairment (OI), preschool severe delay (PSD), specific learning disability (SLD), speech-language impairment (SLI), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and visual impairment (VI). The category opens the door to services; it doesn’t limit what help a student can get.
Elopement (wandering): Español: Fuga (deambulación); When a child or adult leaves a safe place or caregiver without telling anyone, sometimes called bolting or running. Common in autism, and drowning is the biggest danger.
Emotional dysregulation: Español: Desregulación emocional; Having strong emotions that are hard to calm down or control. It’s common with ADHD and autism.
Employment services (DDD): Español: Servicios de empleo (DDD); DDD services that help adults work: Individual Supported Employment (ISE), Group Supported Employment (GSE), Center-Based Employment (CBE), Transition to Employment (TTE) and an Employment Support Aide. Vocational Rehabilitation is often the first stop.
EOB (Explanation of Benefits): Español: EOB (Explicación de Beneficios); A statement from a health insurer showing what it paid or denied for a claim, and why. It’s not a bill.
Epilepsy: Español: Epilepsia; A condition that causes repeated seizures. It’s one of the conditions DDD serves, and it’s more common in autistic people and people with intellectual disabilities.
EPSDT (Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment): Español: EPSDT (Detección, Diagnóstico y Tratamiento Tempranos y Periódicos); Medicaid’s benefit for members under 21. On AHCCCS, it covers regular checkups and screenings plus any medically necessary service to correct or improve a condition, including therapies.
ESA (Empowerment Scholarship Account): Español: ESA (Cuenta de Becas de Empoderamiento); An Arizona program that gives families state money for private school, homeschooling, therapies and more instead of public school. Students with disabilities may get more. Accepting an ESA means special education rights under IDEA no longer apply.
ESS (Exceptional Student Services): Español: ESS (Servicios para Estudiantes Excepcionales); The special education division of the Arizona Department of Education. Many districts also call their special education department ESS.
ESY (Extended School Year): Español: ESY (Año Escolar Extendido); Special education services beyond the regular school year, for students who need them to keep their skills.
EVV (Electronic Visit Verification): Español: EVV (Verificación Electrónica de Visitas); An electronic system that records when, where and by whom in-home care was given.
External review: Español: Revisión externa; An independent review of an insurance denial by a reviewer who doesn’t work for the insurer. The insurer must follow the decision.
Extraordinary care: Español: Cuidado extraordinario; Disability-related care beyond what a parent ordinarily does for a child the same age without a disability. Paid parent care must meet this test.

F

Facilitated IEP meeting: Español: Reunión del IEP facilitada; An IEP meeting run with help from a neutral facilitator from the Arizona Department of Education. It can help when communication with the school has broken down.
FAPE: Free Appropriate Public Education: the right of every eligible student with a disability to special education and services at no cost to the family.
FBA (Functional Behavior Assessment): Español: FBA (Evaluación Funcional de la Conducta); An assessment that looks at why a behavior happens, using observation and information from teachers, family and the student. It’s the basis for a behavior plan.
FERPA: A federal law that gives parents the right to see their child’s education records and protects the records’ privacy.
Functioning labels (high- or low-functioning): Español: Etiquetas de funcionamiento (alto o bajo funcionamiento); Older informal labels for autism. The DSM-5 uses levels of support instead, and many autistic people find these labels misleading, because a person can have strong skills in one area and need a lot of support in another.

G

GAL (Guardian ad litem): Español: GAL (Tutor ad litem); A person, usually a lawyer, the court appoints to represent what’s best for a child or vulnerable adult in a court case. A GAL is not a guardian and doesn’t make day-to-day decisions.
GFCF diet (gluten-free, casein-free): Español: Dieta GFCF (sin gluten y sin caseína); A diet without wheat gluten and milk protein that some families try for autism. Research hasn’t shown consistent benefits for autism, and it can leave gaps in nutrition, so talk with a doctor or dietitian first. It is needed for celiac disease or a milk allergy.
Group home: Español: Hogar grupal; A licensed home where up to 6 adults with developmental disabilities live, with staff around the clock, through DDD.
Guardian: Español: Tutor (guardián); An adult appointed by a court to make personal decisions, like medical, living and education decisions, for an adult who can’t make or communicate those decisions safely on their own. In Arizona, the Superior Court appoints guardians.
Guardian training (Arizona): Español: Capacitación para tutores (Arizona); Online training from the Arizona courts that family members and other non-licensed guardians and conservators must finish before the court issues letters.
Guardianship: Español: Tutela; The court process that appoints a guardian. In Arizona, the Superior Court can appoint a guardian alone, together with a conservator, or temporarily (for up to 6 months) in an emergency. It takes away some of the person’s rights, so less restrictive options, like supported decision-making, may fit better. Talk with a lawyer or advocate. The person gets their own lawyer, a court investigator visits, and a medical report is filed before the hearing. Arizona allows filing at 17½ so it’s in place at 18.
Guardianship of a minor: Español: Tutela de un menor; A court order giving someone other than a parent, like a grandparent, legal authority to care for a child. In Arizona’s probate court it generally needs the parents’ consent, unless they’ve died or don’t object after notice.

H

Habilitation: Español: Habilitación; Services that teach and build everyday living skills, like cooking, money or getting around.
HIPAA: A federal privacy law for health information. Doctors can listen to families, but generally need an adult patient’s OK to share their information.
Homemaker (HSK): Español: Ayuda en el hogar (HSK); A DDD service that helps with household tasks like cleaning, laundry and meal preparation so a person can keep living at home.
Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8): Español: Vale de Elección de Vivienda (Sección 8); A federal program, run by local public housing agencies, that helps pay rent. Mainstream vouchers are set aside for households that include a person with a disability ages 18 to 61.

I

I/DD (Intellectual and developmental disabilities): Español: DI/DD (Discapacidades intelectuales y del desarrollo); An umbrella term for conditions that begin before adulthood and affect learning, thinking, communication or daily living, like intellectual disability, autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy.
IADL (Instrumental activities of daily living): Español: AIVD (Actividades instrumentales de la vida diaria); Tasks needed to live on your own, like managing money, cooking, shopping, taking medicines, using the phone and getting around town.
ICF/IID (Intermediate Care Facility): Español: ICF/IID (Centro de Cuidado Intermedio); An Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities: a licensed residential setting with 24-hour care, health care and habilitation, paid by Medicaid.
ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act): Español: ICWA (Ley de Bienestar del Niño Indígena); A federal law that protects American Indian children and families in child custody cases, including the tribe’s right to be notified and take part.
IDEA: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the federal special education law.
IDLA (Individually Designed Living Arrangement): Español: IDLA (Arreglo de Vivienda Diseñado Individualmente); A DDD option for an adult to live in their own home or apartment, with support hours set by DDD. The person pays their own rent and bills.
IEE (Independent Educational Evaluation): Español: IEE (Evaluación Educativa Independiente); An evaluation by someone outside the school. If you disagree with the school’s evaluation, you can ask for one at public expense.
IEP (Individualized Education Program): Español: IEP (Programa de Educación Individualizado); A written plan with a student’s special education goals, services and supports.
IFSP (Individualized Family Service Plan): Español: IFSP (Plan Individualizado de Servicios para la Familia); The plan for a baby or toddler in early intervention (AzEIP), written with the family. It’s the early intervention version of an IEP, for birth to age 3.
IHS (Indian Health Service): Español: IHS (Servicio de Salud Indígena); The federal agency that provides health care to members of federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes.
In-school suspension (ISS): Español: Suspensión dentro de la escuela (ISS); Being kept out of class but at school because of behavior. For a student with an IEP, it counts as a removal unless the student keeps getting their IEP services, works on the general curriculum and is with peers as the IEP plans.
Incapacitated person: Español: Persona incapacitada; Arizona’s legal term for an adult whose disability or illness keeps them from making or communicating responsible decisions about their own care. A court must find this before appointing a guardian.
Independent Oversight Committee (IOC): Español: Comité de Supervisión Independiente (IOC); Volunteer committees that protect the rights of people served by DDD and review behavior plans that use restrictive measures. They used to be called Human Rights Committees (HRC).
Informal removal: Español: Retiro informal; Sending a student home early, shortening their school day, or asking a parent to keep them home because of behavior, without a formal suspension. These can count as disciplinary removals.
Integrative medicine: Español: Medicina integrativa; Care that combines standard medical treatment with complementary approaches, like music therapy or yoga, planned together by the person’s care team.
Intellectual disability (MIID, MOID, SID): Español: Discapacidad intelectual (MIID, MOID, SID); Significant limits in thinking skills and everyday adaptive skills that begin in childhood. Arizona schools use three levels: mild (MIID), moderate (MOID) and severe (SID). It’s one of the conditions DDD serves.
Internal appeal: Español: Apelación interna; Asking your insurance company to review its own decision to deny a claim or service.
ISM (In-kind support and maintenance): Español: ISM (Apoyo y manutención en especie); Help with shelter costs, like rent, mortgage or utilities, paid by someone else. It can lower a person’s SSI check, up to a set cap. Since September 2024, food no longer counts.
ISP (Individual Support Plan): Español: ISP (Plan de Apoyo Individual); The older name for a DDD member’s plan. It’s now the Person-Centered Service Plan (PCSP), so you may see ISP on older paperwork.

K

Ketogenic (keto) diet: Español: Dieta cetogénica (keto); A very high-fat, very low-carb medical diet. It’s proven for some kinds of epilepsy. For autism, research is early. It needs a doctor, a registered dietitian and regular lab tests.
KidsCare: Arizona’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), run by AHCCCS. It covers children under 19 in families whose income is too high for AHCCCS but still limited. There may be a small monthly premium.

L

Letter of intent: Español: Carta de intención; A letter, not a legal document, where a parent or caregiver writes down a person’s routines, likes, medical needs, supports and hopes, to guide future caregivers, guardians and trustees.
Letters of guardianship: Español: Cartas de tutela; The official court papers that prove someone is a person’s guardian. Schools, doctors, banks and agencies ask for a copy.
Levels of support (autism): Español: Niveles de apoyo (autismo); Level 1, 2 or 3, noted with an autism diagnosis to describe how much support a person needs right now: support, substantial support, or very substantial support. Needs can change over time.
Licensed fiduciary: Español: Fiduciario con licencia; A professional licensed by the Arizona Supreme Court to serve as a guardian, conservator or trustee for people who aren’t their relatives. Families sometimes name one as a backup.
Licensed Health Aide (LHA): Español: Asistente de Salud con Licencia (LHA); A parent, guardian or family member licensed by the Arizona Board of Nursing and employed by a Medicare-certified home health agency to give nursing-related care to their own family member. The member must be under 21, on ALTCS through DDD or EPD, and approved for private duty nursing or skilled nursing respite.
Limited guardianship: Español: Tutela limitada; A guardianship where the court gives the guardian only certain powers, like medical, education or living-arrangement decisions, and the person keeps their other rights. It respects more independence than a general guardianship.
LRE (Least Restrictive Environment): Español: LRE (Ambiente Menos Restrictivo); The right to learn alongside students without disabilities as much as appropriate.

M

M-CHAT: A free screening checklist for autism in toddlers (16 to 30 months), often used at well-child visits. It flags the need for an evaluation; it isn’t a diagnosis.
Manifestation determination: Español: Determinación de manifestación; A meeting held within 10 school days after a school decides to change a student’s placement for discipline. The team decides whether the behavior was caused by the disability, or by the school not following the IEP.
Masking (camouflaging): Español: Enmascaramiento (camuflaje); Hiding or covering differences to fit in, like copying peers, rehearsing conversations or holding in stress. It’s common in girls, women and adults, and it can lead to exhaustion and missed diagnoses.
Measurable postsecondary goals (MPG): Español: Metas postsecundarias medibles (MPG); The goals in an IEP transition plan for education or training, employment and, when it fits, independent living after high school.
Mediation: Español: Mediación; A voluntary, confidential meeting where a neutral mediator helps a family and the school reach a written agreement. The mediator doesn’t decide. A signed agreement can be enforced.
Medicaid: Public health insurance for people with low incomes or disabilities. In Arizona it’s called AHCCCS.
Medicaid payback: Español: Reembolso a Medicaid; A rule that money left in a first-party special needs trust, and sometimes an ABLE account, must repay AHCCCS for care when the person dies.
Medical necessity: Español: Necesidad médica; An insurer’s test for whether a service is needed to diagnose or treat a condition. Many therapy denials say a service isn’t medically necessary.
Medical report (guardianship): Español: Informe médico (tutela); In an Arizona adult guardianship case, a physician, psychologist or registered nurse examines the person and files a written report with the court before the hearing.
Medicare: Federal health insurance for people 65 and older, and for people under 65 who have received SSDI, including the Disabled Adult Child benefit, for 24 months. Some people have both Medicare and AHCCCS.
Meltdown: Español: Crisis sensorial (meltdown); An intense, outward reaction to being overwhelmed. It isn’t a tantrum or bad behavior. Lowering noise and demands, keeping everyone safe and giving space help.
Mental health parity: Español: Paridad en salud mental; A federal law that says insurance limits on mental health and autism-related treatment can’t be stricter than limits on medical care.
MET (Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team): Español: MET (Equipo de Evaluación Multidisciplinario); In Arizona, the team that reviews evaluations and decides if a student qualifies for special education. Parents are members.
Mobile crisis team: Español: Equipo móvil de crisis; Trained crisis workers who come to a person in a mental health crisis. In Arizona, reach them through 988 or the Arizona Statewide Crisis Line, 1-844-534-4673.
Modification: Español: Modificación; A change in what a student is expected to learn, like shorter assignments or different-level work.
MTSS or RTI: Español: MTSS o RTI; School programs that give extra help in steps. They can’t be used to delay or deny a special education evaluation.

N

NCMEC: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. After calling 911 for a missing child, call 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).
Neurodivergent: Español: Neurodivergente; A community word for a person whose brain works differently from what’s considered typical. Not a medical diagnosis.
Neuropsychological evaluation: Español: Evaluación neuropsicológica; A broad set of tests of thinking skills, like attention, memory, language and problem-solving, usually over several sessions, with a detailed report.
Neuropsychologist: Español: Neuropsicólogo; A psychologist with special training in how the brain affects thinking, learning and behavior.
Neurotypical (NT): Español: Neurotípico (NT); A person whose brain works in the ways society usually expects. It’s the opposite of neurodivergent.
Notice of Adverse Benefit Determination: Español: Aviso de Determinación Adversa de Beneficios; A letter from DDD or a health plan saying a service is denied, reduced or ended. You can appeal within 60 calendar days of the date on the letter.

O

OCD (Obsessive-compulsive disorder): Español: TOC (Trastorno obsesivo-compulsivo); Unwanted, repeated thoughts (obsessions) and actions a person feels they must do (compulsions). It can co-occur with autism, and the two can look alike, so an experienced clinician helps tell them apart.
OCR (Office for Civil Rights): Español: OCR (Oficina de Derechos Civiles); The U.S. Department of Education office that enforces Section 504 and the ADA in schools. A complaint is usually due within 180 days of the discrimination.
ODD (Oppositional defiant disorder): Español: TOD (Trastorno oposicional desafiante); A pattern of angry, argumentative or defiant behavior toward adults. It often occurs with ADHD. Behavior that comes from anxiety, sensory overload or communication struggles can be mistaken for it.
OHI (Other Health Impairment): Español: OHI (Otro Impedimento de Salud); A special education category often used for students with ADHD.
Orientation and mobility (O&M): Español: Orientación y movilidad (O&M); Teaching a person who is blind or has low vision to know where they are and travel safely, for example with a cane. It can be a related service in an IEP.
OT (Occupational therapy): Español: Terapia ocupacional (OT); Therapy for fine motor skills, sensory needs and everyday tasks like dressing or writing.

P

P&A (Protection and Advocacy): Español: P&A (Protección y Defensa); The federally funded agency in each state that protects the rights of people with disabilities. In Arizona it’s Disability Rights Arizona (formerly the Arizona Center for Disability Law).
Paraprofessional (aide): Español: Paraprofesional (asistente); A school staff member who supports students under a teacher’s direction, sometimes one-on-one. If an IEP includes an aide, it should say when and how the support is given.
Parent training and information center: Español: Centro de capacitación e información para padres; A federally funded center that helps families with special education and disability rights, for free. Arizona’s is Encircle Families (formerly Raising Special Kids).
Part B and Part C (IDEA): Español: Parte B y Parte C (IDEA); The two main parts of the special education law for children. Part C covers early intervention from birth to age 3 (AzEIP in Arizona). Part B covers special education from ages 3 to 21 through public schools.
PAS (Pre-Admission Screening): Español: PAS (Evaluación previa a la admisión); The ALTCS assessment that decides whether a person’s medical and functional needs qualify for long-term care. For DDD members it looks at areas like self-care, communication and behavior.
PASS (Plan to Achieve Self-Support): Español: PASS (Plan para Lograr la Autosuficiencia); A Social Security work incentive that lets a person on SSI set aside income or savings for a work goal, like training or equipment, without it lowering their SSI.
PBIS (Positive behavioral interventions and supports): Español: PBIS (Intervenciones y apoyos conductuales positivos); A school-wide approach that teaches and rewards expected behavior and adds more support for students who need it. When behavior gets in the way of learning, the IEP team must consider positive behavior supports.
PCSP (Person-Centered Service Plan): Español: PCSP (Plan de Servicios Centrado en la Persona); The DDD plan that lists a person’s goals and the services DDD will provide. It’s written with the person, the family and the support coordinator.
PDD-NOS (Pervasive developmental disorder): Español: PDD-NOS (Trastorno generalizado del desarrollo); An older diagnosis. Since the DSM-5 in 2013, it’s part of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), along with Asperger’s syndrome.
PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System): Español: PECS (Sistema de Comunicación por Intercambio de Imágenes); A way to communicate by handing someone a picture of what you want, building up to picture sentences. It’s one type of AAC.
Petition: Español: Petición (solicitud); A written request asking a court to do something, like appoint a guardian. The person who files it is the petitioner.
PLAAFP (Present levels): Español: PLAAFP (Niveles actuales); Present levels of academic achievement and functional performance: the part of the IEP that describes how the student is doing now, with data. Goals and services should connect to it. Older IEPs may call it PLEP or PLP.
Pooled trust: Español: Fideicomiso mancomunado (pooled trust); A special needs trust run by a nonprofit that keeps a separate account for each person but invests the money together. Useful for smaller amounts.
Power of attorney (POA): Español: Poder notarial (POA); A legal document in which an adult chooses someone to make certain financial or health care decisions for them. The adult keeps their rights, so it can be a less restrictive option than guardianship.
PPCG (Parents as Paid Caregivers): Español: PPCG (Padres como Cuidadores Pagados); Arizona’s program that lets a parent or guardian of a DDD member under 18 be paid for some disability-related care, through a provider agency.
Pre-ETS (Pre-Employment Transition Services): Español: Pre-ETS (Servicios de Transición Previos al Empleo); Free Vocational Rehabilitation services for students with disabilities, like job exploration, work-based learning and self-advocacy training. Students can start while still in high school, as early as age 14.
Prior Written Notice (PWN): Español: Aviso Previo por Escrito (PWN); A written explanation the school must give when it proposes or refuses to start or change a student’s evaluation, placement or services.
Probate court: Español: Tribunal de sucesiones (probate); The part of the Superior Court that handles guardianships, conservatorships, wills and estates. In Maricopa County, these case numbers start with PB.
Procedural safeguards: Español: Garantías procesales; The written summary of your special education rights, which the school must give you.
Program Review Committee (PRC): Español: Comité de Revisión de Programas (PRC); A DDD committee that reviews behavior plans before they’re used, especially plans with restrictive steps. It can approve a plan or ask for changes.
Progress report: Español: Informe de progreso; A report on how a student is doing on each IEP goal. The IEP says how often you’ll get one.
Psychoeducational tests (WISC, WIAT, Woodcock-Johnson): Español: Pruebas psicoeducativas (WISC, WIAT, Woodcock-Johnson); Tests often used in school and private evaluations. The WISC measures thinking skills like reasoning, memory and processing speed. The WIAT and Woodcock-Johnson measure reading, writing and math. The number after the name, like WISC-V, is the edition.
PT (Physical therapy): Español: Terapia física (PT); Therapy for strength, balance and movement.

Q

Qualified Vendor: Español: Proveedor Calificado (Qualified Vendor); A provider agency approved by DDD to deliver services and hire workers.

R

Reasonable accommodation (work): Español: Adaptación razonable (trabajo); A change at work that lets a person with a disability do the job or have equal access, like a schedule change, a quieter space or written instructions. Employers with 15 or more employees must provide one unless it causes undue hardship.
Reconsideration (Social Security): Español: Reconsideración (Seguro Social); The first step to appeal a Social Security or SSI decision. Ask in writing within 60 days; for SSI, within 10 days to keep payments during the appeal.
Redetermination: Español: Redeterminación; When DDD checks again whether someone still qualifies, including around ages 6 and 18. Services continue during a redetermination.
Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD): Español: Disforia sensible al rechazo (RSD); A name some clinicians use for intense emotional pain after rejection or criticism, often described by people with ADHD. It isn’t an official diagnosis, and research is limited.
Related services: Español: Servicios relacionados; Services a student needs to benefit from special education, like speech, occupational or physical therapy, counseling or transportation. They’re written into the IEP.
Relay service (711): Español: Servicio de retransmisión (711); Free phone access for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind or have a speech disability. In Arizona, dial 711 for the Arizona Relay Service, including captioned and video relay calls.
Release of information: Español: Autorización para divulgar información; A signed form that lets a doctor or hospital share someone’s health information with a person they name, like a parent of an adult child.
Residential billing (room and board): Español: Cobro residencial (alojamiento y comida); What a person living in a DDD group home or developmental home pays for housing, food and utilities: up to 70% of their income or benefits, never more than the actual cost.
Residential treatment center (RTC): Español: Centro de tratamiento residencial (RTC); A live-in behavioral health program that gives 24-hour treatment for children, teens or adults with serious mental health needs. A therapeutic group home (TGH) is a smaller, more home-like option.
Respite: Español: Relevo (respite); Short-term care that gives family caregivers a break.
Restraint: Español: Restricción física; Physically holding a student, or using a device, to limit their movement. It’s serious and can cause harm.
Retaliation: Español: Represalia; Punishing someone for asking for an accommodation or reporting discrimination. It’s illegal.

S

Screening: Español: Detección (screening); A quick check, like a questionnaire, that shows whether a full evaluation is worth getting. Screenings and online quizzes can’t diagnose.
SDI (Specially designed instruction): Español: SDI (Instrucción especialmente diseñada); Teaching that is adapted in content, method or delivery to meet a student’s disability-related needs. It’s what makes a service special education, and it’s written into the IEP.
Seclusion: Español: Aislamiento (seclusion); Keeping a student alone in a room they can’t leave. It’s serious and can cause harm.
Self-advocacy: Español: Autodefensa (self-advocacy); Speaking up for your own needs, rights and choices. It’s a skill that can be taught and practiced from childhood on.
Self-funded plan: Español: Plan autofinanciado; An employer health plan that pays claims with the employer’s own money. It’s governed by federal law, not Arizona insurance rules.
Self-identification: Español: Autoidentificación; Recognizing yourself as autistic or ADHD without a formal diagnosis. Meaningful for many people, though some services and legal protections need a diagnosis.
Self-represented (pro per): Español: Representarse a sí mismo (pro per); Handling your own court case without a lawyer. Arizona courts have free forms and instructions at AZCourtHelp.org, and Maricopa County’s Law Library Resource Center can help: 602-506-7353.
Sensory integration therapy (SI): Español: Terapia de integración sensorial (SI); Play-based occupational therapy that uses activities like swinging and textures to help with sensory processing. Research is still developing, so ask what goals the therapist sets and how progress will be measured.
Sensory processing: Español: Procesamiento sensorial; How the brain takes in and responds to sound, light, touch, smell and movement. Some people are over- or under-sensitive, which can affect comfort, focus and behavior.
SGA (Substantial gainful activity): Español: SGA (Actividad lucrativa sustancial); The monthly earnings level Social Security uses to decide disability. In 2026 it’s $1,690 a month, or $2,830 for people who are blind. Earning more can affect SSDI.
Short-term objectives (STO): Español: Objetivos a corto plazo (STO); Smaller steps toward an annual IEP goal. They’re required for students who take alternate assessments; other IEPs may include them too.
Shutdown: Español: Apagón (shutdown); The inward version of a meltdown: a person may go quiet, freeze or be unable to respond. Calm and time help.
SLD (Specific Learning Disability): Español: SLD (Discapacidad Específica del Aprendizaje); A special education category for learning disabilities like dyslexia, dysgraphia or dyscalculia.
SLP (Speech-language pathologist): Español: SLP (Patólogo del habla y lenguaje); The licensed professional who evaluates and treats speech, language, social communication and swallowing.
SMI (Serious Mental Illness) designation: Español: Designación SMI (Enfermedad Mental Grave); An Arizona designation for adults whose mental illness seriously affects daily life. It can bring a case manager, a service plan and other supports, even without AHCCCS.
Social (pragmatic) communication disorder: Español: Trastorno de la comunicación social (pragmática); A DSM diagnosis for ongoing trouble with the social use of language and conversation, without the repetitive behaviors or intense interests seen in autism.
Special education advocate: Español: Defensor de educación especial; Someone who helps families understand their rights and prepare for school meetings. Advocates aren’t lawyers unless they’re licensed. Some are free through nonprofits; others charge.
Special needs trust: Español: Fideicomiso de necesidades especiales; A legal arrangement that holds money for a person with a disability so it doesn’t count against SSI or AHCCCS limits. It can be third-party (family’s money), first-party (the person’s own money) or pooled (run by a nonprofit).
Special treatment trust (Arizona): Español: Fideicomiso de tratamiento especial (Arizona); AHCCCS’s name for a first-party special needs trust. Arizona law requires the trust to name AHCCCS as a beneficiary for payback (A.R.S. 36-2934.01), so an attorney should draft it.
Speech-language therapy: Español: Terapia del habla y lenguaje; Help with speech, language and communication from a speech-language pathologist (SLP).
SSDI: Social Security Disability Insurance: payments based on work history. The Disabled Adult Child benefit can use a parent’s work record when disability began before 22.
SSI (Supplemental Security Income): Español: SSI (Seguridad de Ingreso Suplementario); Monthly payments for children and adults with disabilities who have limited income and resources. In 2026 the federal maximum is $994 a month, and countable resources must be $2,000 or less for one person.
Standard score and percentile: Español: Puntuación estándar y percentil; How most test results are reported. A standard score of 100 is average, and about two-thirds of people score between 85 and 115. A percentile shows the share of same-age peers who scored the same or lower, so the 50th percentile is average.
State complaint: Español: Queja estatal; A written complaint to the Arizona Department of Education that a school broke a special education rule, like missing a deadline or not following the IEP, within the past year.
State Fair Hearing: Español: Audiencia Estatal Imparcial (State Fair Hearing); For DDD or AHCCCS decisions: a hearing you can ask for if you disagree with the appeal decision. Ask in writing within 90 calendar days of receiving that decision.
Stay put: Español: Permanecer en su lugar (stay put); While a due process case is decided, a student generally stays in their current school placement.
Stimming: Español: Stimming (autoestimulación); Repeated movements or sounds, like rocking, hand-flapping or humming, that help a person regulate feelings or senses. It’s common in autism and usually doesn’t need to be stopped unless it causes harm.
Student Earned Income Exclusion: Español: Exclusión de ingresos del estudiante; An SSI work incentive for students under 22. In 2026, up to $2,410 a month and $9,730 a year of earnings don’t count against SSI.
Summary of Performance: Español: Resumen del Desempeño; A report the school must give when a student leaves special education by graduating or aging out. It sums up academic and functional skills, with recommendations for life after school.
Supplementary aids and services: Español: Ayudas y servicios suplementarios; Supports that help a student with a disability learn in general education classes, like an aide, assistive technology, notes or a modified seating plan. The IEP must list them.
Support coordinator: Español: Coordinador de apoyo; Your main contact at DDD. They help plan services, write the PCSP and connect you with providers.
Supported decision-making: Español: Toma de decisiones con apoyo; A way for adults with disabilities to make their own decisions with help from people they trust, instead of guardianship.

T

TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families): Español: TANF (Asistencia Temporal para Familias Necesitadas); Short-term cash help for families with children and very low income. In Arizona it’s run by DES and called Cash Assistance.
Ticket to Work: Español: Ticket to Work (Boleto para Trabajar); A free Social Security program for people 18 to 64 on SSI or SSDI who want to work. It connects them with employment services, and using it can protect them from medical reviews while they make progress.
Tourette syndrome (TS): Español: Síndrome de Tourette (ST); A condition that causes tics: sudden, repeated movements or sounds a person can’t easily control. It often occurs with ADHD, OCD or anxiety.
Transfer of rights at 18: Español: Transferencia de derechos a los 18; At 18, special education rights move from the parent to the student, unless a court has appointed a guardian. At least a year before, the IEP must note that the student has been told about this. In Arizona, a student 18 to 21 who hasn’t been declared legally incompetent can sign a delegation of rights so a parent can keep making education decisions (A.R.S. 15-773).
Transition plan: Español: Plan de transición; Part of the IEP, required in Arizona by the end of 9th grade or age 16, whichever comes first, with goals for work, school and independent living after high school.
Trial work period: Español: Período de trabajo de prueba; An SSDI work incentive: 9 months, within a rolling 5-year period, when a person can test working and keep full SSDI checks. In 2026, any month earning over $1,210 counts as a trial month.
Trustee: Español: Fideicomisario (trustee); The person or organization that manages a trust and decides how its money is spent, following the trust’s rules.

V

Vanderbilt rating scales: Español: Escalas de Vanderbilt; Free ADHD questionnaires for parents and teachers, often used by pediatricians.
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR): Español: Rehabilitación Vocacional (VR); A state program that helps people with disabilities prepare for, find and keep jobs.

W

Waiver (HCBS): Español: Exención (HCBS waiver); Medicaid funding for home and community-based services, so people can get support at home and in the community.
Waiver of notice: Español: Renuncia a la notificación; A signed form in which someone entitled to notice of a court hearing gives up the usual waiting time (in guardianship, at least 14 days), so the hearing can happen sooner.
Ward (protected person): Español: Pupilo (persona protegida); The person a guardian is appointed for. Someone with a conservator is called a protected person.
WIC (Women, Infants, and Children): Español: WIC (Mujeres, Bebés y Niños); A nutrition program that gives healthy foods, breastfeeding support and nutrition advice to pregnant and new mothers and children under 5 with limited income.

Can’t find a word? Ask Alle or tell us and we’ll add it. AskALLE™ gives general information, not medical, legal or financial advice.