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Glossary
A-C
D-G
H-L
M-Q
R-Z
| Term | Definition |
| Augmentative Communication | A communication aid to assist people with limited or no verbal ability. A communication board is the most commonly used tool. |
| Applied Behavioural Analysis | A therapy method that uses positive reinforcement to encourage appropriate behaviours that will help an individual with autism function in society. Also called the Lovaas method, after Dr. Ivar Lovaas |
| Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) | A developmental disorder that is characterized by short attention spans and a lack of concentration on tasks. |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder | A developmental disorder that is composed of ADD and hyperactivity within the same individual. |
| Activities of Daily Living | The activities that each person engages in daily for personal care and hygiene. Dressing and bathing are examples. |
| Area Education Agency | Provides support services (ed consultation, psych, social work, nursing, speech and language, etc.) to local education agencies. |
| Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) | A disorder in which language is heard correctly but not understood or not processed correctly by the brain. |
| Asperger's Syndrome (AS) | A disorder on the autism spectrum characterized by normal speech and social difficulties. Diagnosis may not occur until the child is older. |
| Autism Society of America (ASA) | One of the leading autism organizations in the United States. |
| Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) | A collection of disorders characterized by symptoms such as impaired verbal ability and social dysfunction |
| American Sign Language (ASL) | The primary sign language used in the United States. It was developed for people with deafness and is often conceptually based. |
| Aspie | A person with Asperger's Syndrome |
| Autie | A person with Autism. |
| Autism | A neurological disorder characterized by communication difficulties (expressive and receptive), sensory problems, and socialization issues. Usually appears between sixteen months and two years of age. |
| Beneficiary | The recipient of a trust fund, life insurance policy, or other assets and funds that have been designated to go to that person. |
| Boardmaker | A device that resembles a notebook or board game created to help nonverbal people communicate |
| Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) | A disorder that interferes with the combination of abilities that enables a person to obtain meaning from language. |
D-G
| Term | Definition |
| Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Disorders, 4th Edition. (DSM-IV_) | A publication used to diagnose autism spectrum disorders. The fourth edition is the most current version of this publication. |
| Echolalia | The verbal repetition of words without using those words for any communication or meaning. |
| Elopement | The tendency of a child with autism to "escape" his or her environment and wander off, usually with no particular direction in mind. |
| Encopresis | A bowel disorder where very hard stool forms in the rectum and liquid stool leaks out from above. Causes bowel leakage. |
| Exact Singn Language | A form of sign language (using much of American Sign Language) that has a sign for each word. Also known as "Exact English". |
| Expressive Speech | The ability to utilize spoken language to convey ideas, thoughts, and feelings. |
| Facilitated Communication | A controversial method of communication that uses the aid of another person for physical and emotional support. |
| Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) | Programs for education that are individualized, meeting a student's needs and providing an education that progresses and is satisfactory. |
| Flapping | The movement of the hand and forearm by a child or an adult with autism that mimics a wave but occurs due to over-stimulation, either physically or emotionally. |
| Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet (GFCF) | A diet used by many parents of children on the autism spectrum. The diet excludes all gluten and casein products |
H-L
| Term | Definition |
| High-Functioning Autism (HFA) | A form of autism that is much less disabling as an individual has verbal ability and varying degrees of social understand. IQ will be measured at seventy or above. |
| Individuals with Disabilites Education Act (IDEA) | A united States congressional act that dictates all the rights children with disabilities have in order to receive full educational benefits from public schools. |
| Individual Education Plan (IEP) | An official plan, written on a yearly basis, that is developed at a meeting with parents, teachers, therapists, and other experts involved in a disabled child's education. |
| Imaginitive Play | The ability to play with objects using imagination. For example, toy cars, people, and houses can be a town in which an entire scenario is played out. |
| Inclusive | A term used interchangeably with mainstreaming. Refers to a child with a disability having access to the same classroom as if he or she were not disabled. |
| InLv | Independent Living (support group); an abbreviation used to indicate a person with autism is functioning at a high enough level to live alone with minimal supervision, such as a social worker checking in daily. |
| IQ (intelligence quotient) | The number that is considered a standard for measuring a person's intelligence and capacity for understanding. |
| Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) | A mental health professional licensed by each state to help individuals and families. |
| Low Functioning Autism (LFA) | A more severe form of autism with IQ measuring at below seventy. |
| Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) | An educational term that refers to the classroom or environment a student attends daily that provides the least amount of restriction to ensure safety and the most of social and educational interaction. |
M-Q
| Term | Definition |
| Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) | Teacher, SLP (Speech Language Pathologist), occupational therapist, psychologist and parents! Used in reference to the group of individuals who are a part of development and implementation of an IEP. |
| Meltdown | The total loss of behavioural control by a person with autism. |
| Mental retardation (MR) | Mentally retarded (IQ less than seventy). |
| No Child Left Behind (NCLB) | An education reform act designed to improve student acievement. All states, school districts and schools that accept Title 1 federal grants are subject to NCLB policy. |
| Neuro-Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (NIDS) | The likely connection between neuro-immune and / or autoimmune dysfunction and conditions such as autism, ADD, Alzheimer's, ALS, CFS/CFIDS, MS, and other immune-mediated diseases |
| Not Otherwise Defined (NOD) | Often appears with a diagnosis by a psychologist. This is a term that is used when a disorder is present but it does not fall into a specific definition within the diagnostic manuals. |
| Not Otherwise Specified (NOS) | Used as a footnote on a diagnosis when the disorder is vague in many ways (usually seen as PPD-NOS). It is considered a catch-all diagnosis and is often not accepted as a valid diagnosis by insurance companies. |
| Neuro-Typical (NT) | A term used for children without autism who are "normal" by definition of society. |
| Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) | This is a disorder in which a person is obsessed with unwanted thoughts and feels the need to act out compulsive behaviours. |
| Parallel Play | Playing beside another child, but playing independently and not interacting with that child. |
| Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) | A communication tool that uses photographs and / or drawings to replace words for language. |
| Prader-Willi syndrome | A disorder on the autism spectrum. PWS is a complex genetic disorder that typically causes low muscle tone, short stature, incomplete sexual development, cognitibe disabilitiesm problem behavioursm and a chronic feeling of hunger that can lead to excessive eating and life-threatening obesity. |
| Physical Therapist or Physical Therapy (PT) | A therapist or therapy that works to increase the functionality of gross motor skills. |
R-Z
| Term | Definition |
| Receptive Speech | Hearing spoken language from another person and deciphering it into a meaningful mental picture or thought pattern, which is understoon and then used by the recipient. |
| Rett Syndrome (RS) | A disorder on the autism spectrum. Rett syndrome is a genetic neurological disorder seen almost exclsively in females and found in a variety of racial and ethnic groups world-wide. It is characterized by apparently normal or near normal development until six to eighteen months of life. A period of temporary stagnation or regression follows, during which the child loses communication skills and purposeful use of the hands. |
| Savant | A person with autism who has unusual and brillian intelligence. Appears in approximately 10 percent of people with autism. |
| Self-Contained | In reference to special education, it refers to schools or classrooms containing only a special-needs population. |
| Sensory Overload | The reaction a child with autism has when more senses are being stimulated than he or she has the ability to process. |
| Service Animal | An animal that is trained to work with and meet the needs of a disabled person. |
| Splinter Skill | This is a highly refined skill accomplished by a child or adult with autism. Other skills may be below typical age level but one or two skills, such as music or computer programming, maybe far above average. |
| Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) | A medication used for depression, anxiety and the control of obsessive-compulsive behaviours, including Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and Luvox. |
| Stuffing | A characteristic of autism where the child overfills his mouth with food. The biggest hazard associated with stuffing is the risk of choking. |
| Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) | A method of teaching children with communication deficits that encourages communication with picture boards or other assistive devices. |
| Theory of Mind | A human characteristic that acknowledges that each person has a mind and one individual may not be aware of the other person's thoughts. Communication bridges that gap. |
| Therapy Animal | An animal that is used to calm people who are either ill or disabled. The animal's job is to deliver unconditional love. |
| Tic | A brief, repetitive, purposeless, nonrhythmic, involuntary movement or sound. Tics that produce movement are called "motor tics" while tics that produce sound are called "vocal tics" or "phonic tics". Tics tend to occur in bursts or "bouts". |
| Tourette's Syndrome (TS) | Also known as Tourette syndrome or Tourette's disorder, this is a fairly common childhood-onset condition that may be associated with features of other conditions. This syndrome is characterized by tics. |
| Williams syndrome | A disorder on the autism spectrum. Williams syndrome is typically characterized by elfin face, dental problems, characteristic stenoic cardiovascular problems (narrowing of the blood vessels) and hypercalcemia (calcium in the blood). People afflicted with Williams syndrome also have a characteristic tendency to approach strangers indiscriminately. |
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Latest page update: made by Lanisatu
, Sep 8 2007, 8:24 PM EDT
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