The Most usefullest useless informational blog most people will never need to read

I speak in acronym. A lot. Often I even forget, as I'm speaking a word during conversation, that it's not actually a word but an acronym that no one knows, but me. I drop acronyms so fast sometimes people ask me to stop, slow down, repeat that.

I've stopped asking if anyone else does this and learned that every extraordinary circumstance has its own vocabulary. Every industry has its own vocabulary. Every family has its own words. Every relationship should have agreed upon meanings to words. People within that unit should understand what the hell the other is saying; basic communication skills.

I have been through so much crap, been handed brochures, flyers and referrals; told, as I'm sitting in lengthy meetings repeating myself, that "we can't help but try (insert other organization's name)." So I'm going to save you at least six months if not a decade of your life (dependent upon the age of your disabled loved one). I guess this is a Glossary for a book that's never been written. Admittedly this is going to be a San Diego based list but I've also learned that these services do exist in other counties, under different, similar program names - I can help you find them as that's what Clusterfuck Productions and Hold My Beer Foundation are all about.

Let me start with SPED basics (see? I'm doing it again)... Special Education basics:

IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

LRE - Least Restrictive Environment

FAPE - Free Appropriate Public Education

SELPA Special Education Local Plan Area

SST - Student Study Team

IEP - Individualized Education Program

IEE - Individualized Educational Evaluation

SPED - Special Education

DOE - Department of Education

504 Plan - alternative to IEP, only offers accommodations FERPA - Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

(The following acronyms are the 13 handicapping conditions, educationally speaking)

AUT - autism

DB - deaf-blindness

DEAF - deafness

ED - emotional disturbance

HI - hearing impairment

ID - intellectual disability

MD - multiple disabilities

OI - orthopedic impairment

OHI - other health impairment

SLD - specific learning disability

SLI - speech or language impairment

TBI - traumatic brain injury

VI - visual impairment including blindness

Disability Employment basics:

EAP - Employment Accommodation Program

JAN - Job Accommodation Network

VR&E - Vocational Rehabilitation

Mental Health basics:

IHSS - In-home Support Services (Protective Services) CWS/CPS - Child Welfare/Protective Services

APS - Adult Protective Services

5150 - California law code for the temporary, involuntary psychiatric commitment of individuals who present a danger to themselves or others

CMH - County Mental Health

BHS - Behavioral Health Services

Service & Therapy Dog basics:

ESA - Emotional Support Animal

FHAct- Fair Housing Act

HUD - Department of Housing and Urban Development ACAA - Air Carrier Access Act

Disability basics:

ADA - American with Disabilities Act

DOJ - Department of Justice

OCR - Office of Civil Rights

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On a side note, I'm pretty certain I created the words Bullnannies and Framily; that being stated, my newest educational venture is Trademarks, Copyrights and Service Marks. I do, however, know all about Terms of Service, Privacy Practices and that we own no intellectual property rights to anything we write on social media.

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I took a poll last year on what would be the most helpful use of a Facebook Group I started and the feedback was DIY articles.

I wrote a book full of acronyms for a very specific population. I offered a free read to a select audience and now it's published for anyone needing to understand how to put together a Special Education and/or Medical History binder. It's not long but its apparent value was determined by the number of individuals who asked for this information, asked me to meet with them, asked me to do it for them.

The $5 download fee covers two things: 1) my time away from my children, 2) start-up costs for my nonprofit.

You can purchase it here holdmybeerfoundation.org/diysped