abduction:
moving the limbs away from the body
aberration:
deviation from normal
activities of daily living (ADL):
everyday skills the person needs to learn to function:
eating, dressing, bathing, hygiene skills, communication skills
acute:
sudden onset and lasts a short period of time
adaptive development:
how a child compares to other children the same age in regards to such things as motor development, speech and language skills, daily living skills etc.
ADA-Americans With Disabilities Act:
a civil rights law passed in 1990 that does not allow discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, public service, and public accomodations
adaptive behavior:
the individuals ability to act appropriately in social situations and to take care of their personal needs
adaptive physical education:
physical education programs specified to meet the needs of special education students
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) (ADD):
student exhibits poor attention, distractibility, impulsivity, and hyperactivity
adduction:
moving the limbs toward the mid-line of the body
age norms:
the average performance of an individual in various age groups
adventitious:
acquired after birth, accidental
advocate:
a person who helps take action for someone else who is not able to
affect:
an observable emotion; anger, sadness, happiness
age appropriate:
within the child's chronological age
air -bone gap:
decibel difference between the air-conduction thresholds and the bone-conductive thresholds in one ear (usually 10 or more means there is a conductive problem)
akinesia:
reduced voluntary movement
amblyopia:
the child does not use her eyesight in one eye (lazy eye)
ambulatory:
the ability to move around without assistive devices
amendment:
a change made in a law
American sign language (ASL) (Ameslan):
most common sign language for deaf adults in North America. It has its own grammar.
amplifier:
part of a hearing aid that increases the intensity or loudenss
amputation:
absence of a limb
anencephaly:
absence of cerebral tissue
anomaly:
irregular structure or function
anopthalmos:
no eyeball
anoxia:
a lack of oxygen to tissues which causes cell death or damage
annual goals:
yearly goals documented in the Individualized Education Plan
antagonist:
muscles resisting actions of others
anterior fonanel:
the "soft spot" on the top of the head that usually closes over by 18 months.
anxiety:
A feeling of panic which may cause palpitations sweating, and increased pulse rate
anxiety disorders:
fear about people and places
anti-convulsants:
medications to control seizures
APGAR score:
score given to a newborn to identify infants at risk - coloring (appearance), heart rate, (pulse) muscle tone (activity), breathing (respiration), and response to stimuli (grimace) are assessed.
apnea:
short stoppage of breathing
appeal:
request, usually written to make a change in a decision
appropriate:
the most suitable situation possible
apraxia:
difficulty controlling voluntary muscular movements with usually no motor or sensory impairment
articulation disorders:
difficulty with the production of speech sounds
aspiration:
food or liquid entering the airway (trachea) below the level of the true vocal cords
aspiration pneumonia:
inflammation to the lungs usually caused by food or liquid entering them
assessment testing and evaluation:
used to decide if a person qualifies for special education services (may include social, psychological and education evaluations)
assessment team:
a team of people such as the psychologist, speech pathologist, teacher, etc. who test the child
assistive technology:
technology used to help a person with disabilities
asthma:
a breathing disorder
astigmatism:
blurred vision caused by uneven curvature of lens or cornea
asymmetrical:
one side of the body is different from the other
ataxic:
poor balance
athetoid:
unwanted jerky repetitive movements
at risk:
children who may or may not develop problems in their development that will affect their learning process
atrophy:
degeneration of the muscles
audiogram:
the written results in a graph form of a hearing test measured in decibels (loudness) for each frequency (pitch)
audiologist:
a specialist that tests and remediates hearing problems
auditory brain stem response (ABR):
A hearing test usually used with babies or other hard to test patients. The patient is usually asleep or lying very still. Electrodes measure resting brain waves and when sound is made. Also specific medical problems that may affect the persons hearing such as tumors may be discovered.
auditory discrimination:
the ability to detect differences in sounds
auditory training:
learning to optimize residual hearing by focusing on sounds in the persons environment
augmentative communication:
special devices that provide an alternative for spoken language
B
baseline:
bilateral:
binocular vision:
braille:
C
categorization:
cause and effect:
cataract:
central nervous system:
cerebral palsy:
cleft palate:
congenital:
closed caption decoder:
closed captioning:
cognitive:
compulsion:
conductive hearing loss:
confabulation:
congenital:
counseling:
criterion referenced test:
D
defense mechanism:
decibel:
deficit:
delusion:
depth perception:
developmental disability:
developmental history:
developmental tests:
developmentally delayed:
diagnosis:
disability:
down's syndrome:
due process:
dyscalculia:
dysfluency:
dysgraphia:
dyslexia:
E
early intervention services:
echolalia:
eligible:
electroencephalogram (EEG):
epilepsy:
equilibrium:
etiology:
evaluation:
F
field of vision:
fetal alchohol syndrome (FAS):
fine motor:
finger spelling:
free appropriate public education:
frequency:
G
gait pattern:
grandmal seizure:
gross motor:
H
handicap:
hemiplegia:
hertz:
homebound instruction:
hydrocephalus:
hyperactivity:
hyperopia:
hypertonicity:
hypotonicity:
I
inclusion:
Individualized Education Program (IEP):
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP):
interdisciplinary team:
interpreter:
J
juvenile diabetes:
K
L
language impairment:
learning disability:
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE):
legally blind:
light perception:
light projection:
low vision:
M
mainstreaming:
mental age:
mental retardation:
microcephaly:
motor development:
muscle tone:
multidisciplinary:
multiple sclerosis:
myopia:
muscular dystrophy:
N
native language:
neologisms:
neonatal:
norm-referenced tests:
nystagmus:
O
object permanence:
obsessions:
occupational therapist:
opthalmologist:
optometrist:
orientation and mobility specialist:
otitis media:
otolaryngologist:
P
panic attack:
paralysis:
paranoia:
paraplegia:
partially sighted:
peripheral vision:
perinatal:
perseveration:
petit mal seizures:
phobia:
physical therapist:
placement:
policy/policies:
postnatal:
prenatal:
private agency:
private therapist:
prosthesis:
psychologist:
psychosis:
public agency:
Public Law (P.L.) 94-142 (now called IDEA-Individuals with Education Act):
Public Law (P.L.) 102-119, passed in 1991:
Q
quadriplegia:
R
range of motion:
receptive language:
related services:
residual hearing:
residual vision:
resource room:
S
seizure:
self contained class:
sensorineural hearing loss:
service coordinator:
sign language:
signed English:
spasticity:
special education programs/services:
special needs:
speech/language pathologist:
spina bifida:
stuttering:
strabismus:
T
tactile defensiveness:
tremor:
total communication:
TTY/TTD:
tunnel vision:
U
the current level the child is functioning at before instruction
affects both sides of the body
the use of two eyes to see a single image
a pattern of raised dots that are felt with fingers to help the blind read
the ability to sort objects by function, color, size, group, etc.
the ability to understand that a specific actions can make something happen
loss of vision due to a cloudy lens
the nerves that travel along the spinal cord to and from the brain
a disorder of the central nervous system which affects muscle movement
an opening in the roof of the mouth
present at birth
a device that makes captions appear on a television
the deaf/hearing impaired are able to watch the tv program, movie, or video by reading words printed out on the screen
difficulty in learning in the areas of reasoning,comprehension and judgment
a repetitive act that an individual can not consciously control
a temporary or permanent hearing loss which occurs when something interferes with the passage of sound to the inner ear
a person replaces memory loss by a fantasy
a condition that is present at birth
advice given by a professional
child is evaluated according to own performance, not in comparison to others
ways an individual protects himself from emotions that are too uncomfortable
the intensity level of sound, loudness level
a level of performance lower than expected for a child
the person has an irrational belief that is associated with paranoia
what the person is able to visually perceive at different distances
a condition that prevents a child from developing normally and often results in mental retardation or autism
a record of the child’s growth in areas such as walking, learning and talking.
tests that compare a child's development to others the same age
a child who acquires skills after the expected age
the problem identified after an evaluation
a physical or mental problem that prevents someone from functioning at a normal rate
a child born with chromosomal abnormalities which often results in mental retardation
a procedure to help protect the rights of children with disabilities
a learning disability in which a child is unable to do math problems
a break in the smooth flow of speech,stuttering
a learning disability which impairs the childs ability to write
learning disability which impairs the child's reading ability
identifying and treating children before the age of 3
the child echos what ever is spoken
qualifies for services
it measures the output of the brain
a brain disorder characterized by seizures or convulsions
balance
the cause
a process used to determine if a child qualifies for special education services
the area a person can see around them without moving their eyes or head
child may be born with low birth weight, severe retardation and physical problems due to mother drinking alcohol while pregnant
hand and finger small muscle movement
hand shapes of the alphabet, a way for the deaf/hearing impaired to spell
a requirement that all school-aged children despite having a disability, be provided services in the public school system
It is measured in hertz (hz) the number of times a sound wave vibrates in a second
walking pattern
severe epileptic seizure which often results in a loss of consciousness
coordinated movements of all body parts
a physical or mental problem that prevents someone from functioning at a normal rate
paralysis on one side of the body
hz, the pitch of a sound, the number of vibrations per second
a teacher provided to students unable to attend school
enlargement of the head resulting from excess cerebral spinal fluid in the brain
excessive motor activity or restlessness
farsightedness-difficulty seeing near objects
increased muscle tone
decreased muscle tone
disabled children receive services in their home school and are placed in the same classroom with non-handicapped children
a yearly education plan written by teachers, therapists, psychologists, etc. and the child's parents for school age children with disabilities
an education plan written by teachers, therapists, psychologists, etc. and the child's parents for a child birth through 2 years old with disabilities
various individuals from different disciplines that assess children's needs (speech therapist, occupational therapist, nurse, psychologist, etc.)
a person who helps with the communication between the deaf/ hard of hearing community and the hearing community
excessive sugar in the child's blood and urine which could cause visual impairments, coma, limb amputation, and death if untreated
difficulty understanding and/or using language
a child with average or above average potential has difficulty learning in one or more areas (such as reading or math) and exhibits a severe discrepancy between their ability and achievement
an educational setting which gives students with disabilities a place to learn to the best of their ability and also have contact with children without disabilities
a visual field which is not greater than 20 degrees or visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye after correction
ability to detect presence or absence of light
ability to tell where light is coming from
impaired vision but individual is able to read print with or without magnification device
some or all of the child's day is spent in a regular classroom
the level of intellectual functioning based on the average for children of the same chronological age
the child's intellectual level is measured below the average range usually below 70 on IQ tests
development of a small head with retardation usually occurring
the ability to move effectively within the environment
the amount of tension in the muscles at rest
a team of specialists such as a speech and language pathologist, psychologist, occupational therapist, used to help determine the students needs
degeneration of the central nervous system due to a progressive deterioration of the protective sheath surrounding the nerves
nearsightedness-blurred vision with distant objects harder to see than near objects
destroys muscle tissue which leads to a progressive deterioration of the body
the child's primary language
a child makes up words that only have meaning to them
period between onset of labor and several months after birth
a child's performance is compared to others the same age
jerking of the eyes that can't be controlled
the child is aware that an object still exists even when it is taken away
a thought or action that a person does over and over again
a therapist that focuses on daily living skills, sensory integration, and fine motor skills
a medical doctor that deals with diseases and conditions of the eye
examines eyes and prescribes corrective lenses
a certified teacher specializing in teaching the visually impaired to travel safely and efficiently
middle ear infection
an ear, nose and throat doctor
symptoms of anxiety with no medical cause such as dizziness, palpitations, nausea etc.
complete or partial loss of feeling or movement
the person is extremely suspicious of others
the lower half of the body is paralyzed
individuals have sufficient vision to read print
what the person sees outside of their field of vision by moving their eyes, not their head
the period of time at or immediately following birth
repeating an activity to an extreme that it interferes with other activities
a mild form of epilepsy with momentary lapse of consciousness
an irrational fear of something
provides evaluation and treatment of physical disabilities to help the person improve the use of bones, muscles, joints, and nerves through exercise and massage
the program that the team of specialists and parent decide is the most appropriate for the student
rules and regulations; as related to early intervention and special education programs, the rules that a state or local school system has for providing services for and educating its students with special needs
period of time after birth
period of time before birth
a non-public agency that uses public funds to provide services for some children
a professional outside of the public school system or agency
artificial device that replaces a missing body part
a specialist in the field of psychology
person has difficulty differentiating between fantasy and reality
supported by public funds and provides services to the public
a law passed in 1975 that requires public schools to provide a free and appropriate public education to school-aged children ages 3-21 regardless of disability
an amendment to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to provide funds for states to serve infants and toddlers (ages birth through 2 years) with disabilities
all limbs are paralyzed
the amount a person is able to move their joints and limbs
the understanding of spoken and written communication as well as gestures
Other support services that a child with disabilities requires such as transportation, occupational, physical and speech pathology services, interpreters, and medical services ect.
the amount of hearing that is left after a person has a hearing loss
the amount of vision that is left after the person has a loss of vision
a room that serves the children's needs to learn specific skills within the least restrictive environment for part of the day
a temporary burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain
a classroom specifically for special education students
a hearing impairment that is usually permanent results when the inner ear or nerves which carry the sound waves to the brain are damaged
coordinator of an infant's or toddler's early intervention program
using gestures instead of spoken words to communicate
sign language that follows English syntax and grammar
tense contracted muscles usually seen in people with cerebral palsy
programs and services for children over 3 years old with special needs at no cost to families
a child who has disabilities or who is at risk of developing disabilities that may require special education services
a person qualified who improves and/or corrects communication problems
child is born with an open vertebrae in the spinal column
disturbance in the fluency of speech
crossed eyes
child overreacts or avoids any kind of touch
consistent and uncontrolled movements usually seen in people with cerebral palsy
educating deaf students with a combination of speech and sign language
telephone service for the deaf/hearing impaired
the visually impaired person has the feeling of looking through a tunnel