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A B
C D E
F G H
I J K
L M N
O P Q
R S T
U V W
X Y Z
Ability-Achievement Discrepancy
A substantial difference between a student’s anticipated achievement, as
indicated by intellectual ability, and actual achievement.
Ability Grouping
The grouping of students based on their achievement in an area of study.
Absence Seizure
A type of epileptic seizure in which the individual loses consciousness for a
brief period of time.
Academic Plateau
The tendency for students with special needs to reach a plateau in academic
achievement during adolescence.
Accelerated Learning
An educational approach that provides a child with the opportunity to progress
through the curriculum at an accelerated pace, as in a gifted and talented
program.
Accommodation (Visual)
The adjustment of the eye for seeing at different distances.
Achievement
The level of a child’s accomplishment in a specific knowledge or skill.
Achievement Test
A test that measures the extent to which a person has acquired certain
information or mastered certain skills, generally as a result of planned
instruction or training.
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
Severe manifestation of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists numerous opportunistic
infections and neoplasms which, in the presence of HIV infection, constitute an
AIDS diagnosis. In addition, a CD4 count below 200/mm3 in the presence of HIV
infection constitutes an AIDS diagnosis.
Active Learning
Learning experiences in which the students are physically active.
Active Student Response
A frequency-based measure of a student’s active participation during
instruction; assessed by counting the number of observable responses made to an
ongoing academic situation.
Adaptive Behavior
An individual’s ability to relate to others and cope with the demands of a given
environment.
Adaptive Device
Any piece of equipment designed to improve the function of a body part; also
called Assistive Device.
Adaptive Learning Environments Model (ALEM)
Classroom and school management system based on individual learning styles. The
Adaptive Learning Environments Model relies on adaptive instruction, in which a
variety of instructional methods are adopted and tailored to the needs and
learning characteristics of individual students.
Adaptive Physical Education
A special physical education program developed to fit the abilities of persons
with special needs.
Adult Protective Services (APS)
A cooperative program with local prosecutors that protects aged or disabled
persons from abuse, neglect or exploitation.
Adventitious
A disability that develops at any time after birth.
Advocate
Someone with special expertise who represents the cause of a person with
disabilities or group of people with disabilities, primarily in legal or
administrative proceedings.
Affective Reactions
Psychotic reactions marked by extreme mood swings.
Age-Based Norms
Standards based on the average performance of individuals within an age group.
Agnosia
A child’s inability to recognize objects and interpret their meaning; typically
resulting from damage to the brain.
Albinism
A congenital condition marked by deficiency in, or total lack of, pigmentation.
Amblyopia
Dimness of sight without apparent change in the eye’s structure; may lead to
blindness in the affected eye if not treated.
American Sign Language
A visual-gestural language with its own rules of syntax, semantics and
pragmatics; the standard form of sign language used in North America.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
A civil rights law prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities
in employment, state or local government services, public accommodations and
public transportation.
Amniocentesis
The insertion of a hollow needle through the abdomen into the uterus of a
pregnant woman; used to obtain amniotic fluid so as to determine the presence of
genetic and chromosomal abnormalities.
Amphetamines
A group of drugs used to stimulate the cerebral cortex of the brain; in
children, can be used to treat hyperactivity.
Amplification Device
A device that increases the volume of sound.
Anecdotal Record
An objective, descriptive procedure for recording and analyzing observations of
a child’s behavior.
Anencephaly
Congenital malformation of the skull indicating the absence of all or part of
the brain.
Angular Gyrus
The region of the brain responsible for executing cross-modal associations
(i.e. vision and language, hearing and motor, etc.).
Annual Goals
Set of long-term achievements to be completed or attained by a special education
student; by law, must be documented in the Individualized Education Program.
Anomaly
Some irregularity in development or a deviation from the standard.
Anoxia
Deficient amount of oxygen in the tissues of a part of the body or in the
bloodstream supplying such a part.
Antidepressants
A class of drugs used to treat depression.
Anxiety
An abnormal and overwhelming apprehension and fear often marked by physiological
signs (i.e. sweating, increased pulse, breathing difficulty).
Aphasia
Loss of speech functions; also refers to the inability to speak caused by brain
trauma.
Applied Behavior Analysis
A method aimed at improving socially significant behavior through application
of specific psychological principles.
Apraxia
Problems with voluntary or purposeful muscular movement with no evidence of
motor impairment.
Aptitude Test
A test designed to measure a person’s ability to learn and the likelihood of
success in future school work or in a specific occupation.
Aqueous Humor
Fluid that occupies the space between the lens and the cornea of the eye.
Arena Assessment
An assessment system where professionals of different specialties (i.e.
audiologist, psychologist, occupational therapist, etc.) sit in a circle around
a child and conduct simultaneous evaluations while the child interacts with a
parent or play materials; this is used most often with young children.
Artifacts
Term used to describe the individual works in a student portfolio.
Articulation
The production of speech sounds resulting from the operation of the vocal
organs.
Asperger’s Syndrome (AS)
A neurobiological disorder characterized by chronic social, behavioral and
communicative impairments. Children with AS may exhibit the following
characteristics: abnormal nonverbal communication (such as eye contact, facial
expressions, body postures, or gestures), failure to develop peer relationships,
impaired ability to express emotion, inability to maintain social exchange, lack
of flexibility in adhering to specific routines or rituals, repetitive
self-stimulatory behavior, preoccupation with restricted areas of interest, and
preoccupation with parts of whole objects. The condition differs from
conventional autism in that children with AS maintain average to above average
language acquisition and cognitive development. AS is also sometimes referred to
as Asperger’s Disorder (AD).
Assessment
The process of gathering information about children in order to make educational
decisions.
Assistive Device
See Adaptive device.
Association
The ability to connect and relate different ideas and concepts.
Asthma
A chronic respiratory condition characterized by repeated episodes of difficulty
breathing and coughing.
Astigmatism
A condition typically resulting in blurred vision caused by irregularities in
the cornea.
At Risk
Term used to describe infants or children with a high potential for experiencing
future medical or learning problems.
Ataxia
Poor sense of balance and lack of coordination of the voluntary muscles.
Athetosis
A type of cerebral palsy characterized by uncontrollable twisting motions;
generally accompanied by difficulty with oral language.
Atrophy
The degeneration of tissue.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
A condition in which a child exhibits developmentally inappropriate lack of
concentration and impulsivity; when accompanied by hyperactivity, ADD is
generally referred to as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Attention Span
The length of time an individual can concentrate on a task without being
distracted or losing interest.
Audiogram
A graph indicating one’s ability to hear sounds at different frequencies in each
ear.
Audiologist
A professional specializing in the evaluation of hearing ability and the
treatment of impaired hearing.
Audiology
The science of hearing.
Audiometer
A device used to examine hearing that generates sounds at specific frequencies
and intensities.
Audiometric Zero
The smallest level of sound a person with normal hearing can discern; also
called zero hearing threshold level (HTL).
Audition
The act or sense of hearing.
Auditory Canal
Term used to describe the external acoustic meatus; part of the auditory
structure that amplifies and transports sound waves from the external ear to the
middle ear.
Auditory Discrimination
Ability to detect differences in sounds.
Auditory Figure-Ground
The ability to act on one sound while in the presence of a background sound.
Auditory Memory
The ability to retain information which has been presented orally.
Auditory Training
A program that builds listening skills by teaching individuals with hearing
impairments to make as much use as possible of their residual hearing.
Auricle
The external part of the ear that collects sound waves into the auditory canal.
Authentic Assessment
A form of assessment that is genuinely related to a real-world task.
Autism
A developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal
communications and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that
adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Other characteristics often
associated with autism are: engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped
movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and
unusual responses to sensory experiences.
Automaticity
The ability to automatically recall specific rote-memory facts within a brief
period of time.
*See
Reference Information
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