Special Education and Disability Terminology Glossary, for the Center For Inclusive Child Care

Special Education Terminology Glossary

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ABC Analysis
A technique to identify the relationship between environmental factors and behavior (antecedent-behavior-consequence).
ABC Chart (See Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence Chart)
Abduction
Abduction means to move away from the middle of the body.
Academic Aptitude
Ability needed for schoolwork; likelihood of success in mastering academic work, as estimated from measures of the necessary abilities. (Also called scholastic aptitude.)
ACB
American Council of the Blind www.acb.org
Accessibility
A barrier free environment that allows maximum participation by individuals with disabilities.
Accommodation
A change in how a student accesses and demonstrates learning, but it does not substatially change the instructional content.
Achievement Age
The average age at which students achieve a particular score. ie: if the achievement age corresponding to a score of 36 on a reading test is 10 years, 7 months (10-7), this means that pupils 10 years, 7 months achieve, on the average, a score of 36 on that test.
Achievement Test
A test that measures a student’s performace in academic areas such as math, reading, and writing.
ACLD
Association for Children with Learning Disabilities
Acting Out
Behavior characterized by inappropriate physical and/or verbal responses unacceptable within the environment or setting.
Acuity
Acuteness, as of hearing.
ADA (See Americans with Disabilities Act)
Adapted Physical Education (APE)
A component of the educational curriculum in which physical, recreational, and other therapists work with children who exhibit delays in motor development and perceptual motor skills. It is a related service some children might need in addition to or in place of physical education.
Adaptive Behavior
The extent to which an individual is able to adjust to and apply new skills to new environments, tasks, objects, and people.
ADD (See Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
Adduction
Adduction means to move toward the middle of the body.
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
The degree of progress for children in academic areas established by the State Education Agency.
ADHD (See Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
ADL
Activities of Daily Living
Advocate
An individual who represents other people’s interests as his or her own, advocating strategies that involve working on behalf of or with other people.
AE
Age Equivalent
AFDC
Aid to Families with Dependent Children
Affect
Emotional feeling tone or mood.
Affective
An adjective referring to any variety of feelings, emotional accompaniment.
Age-Based Norms
Norms for which comparisons are based upon age often used in developmental scales.
Aggression
Aggression is defined as behavior that is aimed at harming or injuring others (Coie, Dodge, 1998). Challenging behavior isn’t always aggressive; sometimes it is disruptive or antisocial or annoying. But aggressive behavior is always challenging. It can be direct (hitting, pushing, biting, pinching, spitting) or it can indirect (teasing, bullying, ignoring). (Kaiser, Rasminsky, 2003).
ALD
Adaptive Learning Device
Algorithm
Step-by-step procedure used to solve a problem; use of formulas or mathematical shortcuts.
Alphabetic Principle
This principle is characteristic of English and other alphabetic languages (as opposed to languages such as Chinese which uses characters). It refers to the systematic and predictable relationship between letters and spoken sounds.
Ambulation
The art of walking without assistance from others. It may include the use of crutches, canes and other mechanical aids.
Ambulatory
Ambulatory means able to walk independently.
Amendment
Amendment means a change, revision, or addition made to a law.
American Sign Language (ASL)
American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual/gestural language used by people who are deaf in the United States and Canada. It uses semantic, syntactic, morphological, and phonological rules that are distinct from English.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association is a national professional association for speech and language therapists and audiologists. This is also the name of a monthly journal dealing with news, announcements, and professional matters.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
In 1990, Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which provides people who have disabilities the same freedoms as Americans who do not have disabilities. This law addresses access to public and private buildings and programs. Also, it covers areas such as child care, transportation, housing, and employment.
Analogue Assessment
A procedure that involves a contrived set of conditions that are used to test the accuracy of a hypothesis statement. It allows school personnel to show that a relationship exists between specific classroom events and the student’s behavior.
Analytical Mode Or Style
One type of conceptual style based largely on a breakdown and analysis of the smallest component parts, or units, of any problem or idea.
Anecdotal Report
An objective, descriptive procedure for recording and analyzing observations of a child’s behavior.
Annual Goals
Statement describing the anticipated growth of a student’s skill and knowledge written into a student’s yearly Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Annual Performance Report (APR)
The report that is submitted by each State to the U.S. Department of Education; it provides data and information on compliance and results of special education for children with disabilities.
Anomaly
Some irregularity in development or a deviation from the standard.
Anoxia
Anoxia means a deficiency of oxygen.
Antecedent
A condition, event, or object that precedes a behavior.
Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence (ABC) Chart
A chart used to record information during an antecedent-behavior-consequence (ABC) observation. It allows you to easily organize information about antecedents and consequences of a behavior.
Anthologies
Collections of stories, articles, and other texts.
Anxiety Reaction
An abnormal and overwhelming apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (i.e., sweating, increased pulse, breathing difficulty).
AOM
Assurance Of Mastery
APA
American Psychological Association, American Psychoanalytic Association; American Psychiatric Association.
APE (See Adapted Physical Education)
Aphasia
Loss of speech functions; also refers to the inability to speak caused by brain trauma.
Apnea
Apnea means lack of breathing.
Appeal
Appeal means a written request for a change in a decision or the act of making such a request.
Appropriate
Appropriate means a service meets the educational needs of the child.
APR (See Annual Performance Report)
Apraxia
Loss of the ability to execute simple voluntary acts, especially loss of the ability to perform elementary units of action in the expression of language.
Aptitude
A combination of abilities and other characteristics, whether innate or acquired, believed to be indicative of an individual’s ability to learn in some particular area.
ARC
Association for Retarded Citizens
Art Therapy
Using art as a therapeutic device.
Arthritis
Inflammation of a joint.
Articulation
The enunciation of sounds, words, and sentences.
ASD (See Autism Spectrum Disorder)
ASHA (See American Speech-Language-Hearing Association)
ASL (See American Sign Language)
Assessment
The process of collecting information about a student’s learning needs through a series of individual tests, observations, and interviewing the student, the family, and others. Also, the process of obtaining detailed information about an infant or toddler’s developmental levels and needs for services. May also be called evaluation.
Assessment Team
Assessment Team is a team of people from different areas of expertise that observes and tests a child to find out his or her strengths and needs.
Assisted Learning
An approach to teaching, where the teacher guides and directs students through the learning process. This method allows for students to acquire information and learning strategies without having to discover them on their own.
Assistive Technology
Any item, piece of equipment, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability.
Asthma
Asthma is a disease of the respiratory system, (the lungs and the system of air tubes that lead to them). It is a chronic inflammatory condition that causes the tiny air passageways in the lungs, (called bronchioles), to become narrowed when they react to something in the environment. For more information regarding Asthma, visit the American Lung Association website at: www.lungusa.org
Asymmetric
Asymmetric refers to one side being different from the other.
AT
Assistive Technology
At Risk
At Risk is a term used to refer to children who have, or could have, problems with their development that may affect their learning.
Ataxia
Poor sense of balance and lack of coordination of the voluntary muscles.
Athetoid Cerebral Palsy
Characterized by difficulty with voluntary movements, especially in controlling those movements in the desired direction (demonstrated by extra or purposeless movements).
Attention
A person’s ability to look at, play or work with an object for an extended period of time.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobiological disorder. Typically children with ADHD have developmentally inappropriate behavior, including poor attention skills, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. These characteristics arise early in childhood, typically before age seven, are chronic, and last at least six months. Children with ADHD may also experience difficulty in the areas of social skills and self-esteem. For more information regarding ADHD visit the Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) website at: www.chadd.org or visit the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) website at: www.add.org
Attention Span
The length of time an individual can concentrate on a task without being distracted or losing interest.
AU (See Autism)
Audiogram
A graph on which a person’s ability to hear different pitches (frequencies) at different volumes (intensities) of sound is recorded.
Audiological
Relates to hearing.
Audiologist
A person who holds a degree in audiology and is a specialist in testing hearing and providing rehabilitation services to persons with hearing loss.
Audiology
The study of hearing; it is concerned with the nature of hearing, identification of hearing loss, assessment of hearing loss in the individual, and the rehabilitation of those with hearing loss.
Auditory Discrimination
The ability to distinguish among different speech sounds.
Auditory Memory Span
The number of related or unrelated items that can be recalled immediately after hearing them presented.
Auditory Perception
The ability to understand auditory input.
Aural
Aural relates to the ear, or the sense of hearing.
Autism (AU)
Autism is a developmental disability that significantly affects verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction. For more information regarding Autism, visit the Autism Society of Minnesota’s website at: www.ausm.org
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder is an umbrella term for all Autism related disorders.
Avoidance Behavior
Those responses emitted by the individual with the intent of avoiding or postponing an aversive stimulus.
AYP (See Adequate Yearly Progress)

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BA (See Behavioral Assessment)
Basal Reader Approach
A method of teaching reading in which instruction is given through the use of a series of books. Sequence of skills, content, vocabulary, and activities are determined by the authors of the series. Teacher’s manuals and children’s activity books accompany the basal reading series.
Basals
Basic reading texts that reinforce basic skills in the primary grades.
Baseline
A record of the frequency, duration, and rate of intensity with which a behavior occurs over a period of time before the intervention.
Basic Skills Test
The Basic Skills Tests ensure no student graduates from a Minnesota public high school without essential competencies in reading, mathematics and writing. Tests in reading and mathematics are first given in the eighth grade and a written composition test is first given in the tenth grade. Students have multiple opportunities to pass these tests before graduation. Students must meet the Basic Skills requirements, the High Standards requirements, and any local requirements to graduate from a public high school in Minnesota.
BD (See Behavior Disorder)
BEH
Bureau for Education of the Handicapped
Behavior Disorder (BD)
A term used by some States to describe the behavior of children who exhibit difficulties with social interactions and inappropriate behavior that interferes with learning.
Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
A plan that is put in place to teach a child proper behavior and social skills. It should be positive in nature, not punitive.
Behavior Modification
Techniques used to change behavior by applying both educational and psychological interventions.
Behavior Therapy
A method of behavior modification using such techniques as counterconditioning, reinforcement, and shaping to modify behavior.
Behavioral Assessment (BA)
Behavioral Assessment is the process of gathering (through direct observation and by parent report) and analyzing information about a child’s behavior. The information may be used to plan ways to help the child change unwanted behaviors. Observations include when a behavior occurs as well as the frequency and duration of the behavior.
BIA (See Bureau of Indian Affairs)
Big Books
Story books with simple repetitive language, in a large format so that several children can see the pictures and words as the teacher is reading. A typical big book may be larger than 36” x 36”.
Bilateral
Bilateral means pertinent to, affecting, or relating to the two sides of the body.
Bilaterality
From bilateral, meaning to use both sides of the body in a simultaneous and parallel fashion. Especially related to hemispheric functioning and the two sides (right-left) of the body.
Bilingual
The ability to speak two languages fluently.
BIP (See Behavior Intervention Plan)
Biting
Biting can be developmentally appropriate for very young children, who may be experimenting with oral sensory input. They may also use biting as a reaction to anger or frustration as a way to communicate a need when they don’t have ‘words’ yet. Biting should taper off as a child leaves toddlerhood and enters preschool age, as he learns more words and other ways to communicate and express his needs. Children who are older and still biting may need to be screened for a developmental concern. Contact your local school district’s Early Intervention Program for more information.
Blind (Legally)
Visual acuity for distance vision of 20/200 or less in the better eye after best correction with conventional lenses; or a visual field of no greater than 20 degrees in the better eye. For more information regarding the disabiltiy of blindness, visit the National Federation of the Blind’s website at: www.nfb.org, the American Foundation for the Blind’s website at: www.afb.org, or the American Council of the Blind’s website at: www.acb.org
Body Image
The concept and awareness of one’s own body as it relates to orientation, movement, and other behavior.
BP
Behavior Problems
Bradycardia
Bradycardia means a very slow heart rate.
BS
Basic Skills
Bullying
Bullying takes place when a person “is exposed, over time and repeatedly, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons” (Olweus, 1991). It may take many forms, including physical aggression as in hitting or shoving. It can be verbal, as in threats, intimidations, and name calling. It can also be relational, meaning relationships are manipulated to hurt someone else, as in gossip or shunning.
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
The government agency that oversees and assists the affairs of Native Americans. The BIA operates schools in 22 States.

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CA
CA is an acronym for Chronological Age, and refers to the age of a person in terms of years and months.
CAC
Community Alternative Care (waiver)
CADI
Community Alternatives for Disabled Individuals
CCR&R’S
Child Care Resource and Referral (agencies)
CD
Cognitive Delay
CEC (See Council on Exceptional Children)
CED
Council of Education of the Deaf
CEED (See Center for Early Education and Development)
Center for Early Education and Development (CEED)
The Center for Early Education and Development (CEED) provides information regarding young children (birth to age eight), including children with special needs, in the areas of education, child care, child development, and family education. http://education.umn.edu/ceed/
Center for Inclusive Child Care (CICC)
The Center for Inclusive Child Care (CICC) is a comprehensive resource network for promoting and supporting inclusive early childhood and school age programs and providers. This network provides leadership, administrative support, training, and consultation to early care and education providers, school age care providers, parents, and the professionals who support providers and parents of children with special needs. www.inclusivechildcare.org
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Bodily system which is comprised of the brain and the spinal column; it is the first of the nervous systems to develop in the fetus.
CEP
Comprehensive Epilepsy Program
Cerebral Dominance
Cerebral Dominance refers to the natural tendency for one side of the brain to control certain behaviors (for example: hand dominance).
Cerebral Palsy (CP)
Motor impairment caused by brain damage, which is usually acquired during the prenatal period or during birth; ranging from mild to severe, it is neither curable nor progressive. For more information regarding Cerebral Palsy, visit the United Cerebral Palsy website at: www.ucp.org
CF
Cystic Fibrosis
CHADD (See Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)
Channels of Communication
The sensory-motor pathways through which language is transmitted, e.g., auditory-vocal, visual-motor, among other possible combinations.
CHCO
Children’s Home Care Option (See also: TEFRA)
CHEN
Community Health Education Network (of ARC MN)
Child Find
A state and local program mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to identify individuals with disabilities between the ages of birth and 21, and to direct them to appropriate early intervention or educational programs. All public schools in Minnesota must publicly announce the availability of Special Education services to their students. Marketing materials, school brochures, and handbooks are some of the ways to inform the public. Public information, requesting previous school records, and the pre-referral/referral procedures are components of the child find process.
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)
CHADD is a national organization that provides information, training and support for individuals interested and/or impacted by ADHD. For more information regarding ADHD visit the Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) website at: www.chadd.org or visit the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) website at: www.add.org
Choral Reading
A strategy that develops fluency and expression in reading, where the teacher models fluent reading of a passage and the students repeat the reading in unison.
Chronic
A condition that persists over a long period of time.
Chronological Age (CA)
Age of a person in terms of years and months.
CICC (See Center for Inclusive Child Care)
CIFMP (See Continuous Improvement and Focused Monitoring Process)
CIFMS
Continuous Improvement and Focused Monitoring System
Cleft Palate
A congenital, reparable split in the palate that affects one’s articulation and speech.
Closure
A behavior that signifies pattern completion; the mechanism responsible for the automatic completion of familiar events.
Cloze Procedure
A procedure for the assessment of reading comprehension that requires the student to complete a sentence by filling in the blank or providing a meaningful word for the blank.
CMH
Children’s Mental Health
Coaching
Professional relationship that provides mentoring with demonstration of new strategies, technical feedback, and analysis of application over time to a colleague in need.
Cognitive
Cognitive is a term that describes the process people use for remembering, reasoning, understanding, and using judgment.
Cognitive Development
Development of a person’s ability to think about and perceive the environment.
Cognitive Processes
Modes of thought, knowing, and symbolic representation, including comprehension, judgment, memory, imaging, and reasoning.
Cognitive Style
A person’s typical approach to learning activities and problem solving.
Collaboration
Voluntary interaction between professionals having a parity of knowledge and skills.
Collaborative Consultation
An interactive process that enables teams of people with diverse expertise to generate creative solutions to mutually defined problems.
Compliance
Adherence to state and federal rules.
Comprehension
Students read to comprehend. Comprehension is the knowledge gained through the act of comprehending/understanding. The teaching of comprehension involves specific strategies students use to identify what they do and do not understand in a text.
Comprehensive Educational Evaluation
The tests and observations done by the school staff to find out if the child has a disability and requires special education and related services. The school’s multi-disciplinary team is required to do this evaluation and hold a meeting with the parent to discuss the results. A parent may choose to share any evaluation and assessment information done by the child and family agency or by other qualified persons.
Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD)
A State or school plan to train and provide technical assistance for school staff and parents.
Concept
An abstract idea generalized from particular instances. Involves idea of the existence of objects, processes, or relation of objects, i.e., table, cell, man, raining, family, etc.
Conceptual Style
An approach that characterizes individuals. It may vary from impulsive to reflective, from rational to irrational, or from systematic to disorderly. Also, the manner in which one expresses his ideas.
Concordia University
Concordia University is a comprehensive Lutheran university with a talented faculty and staff. Concordia University focuses on forming real relationships with students because they are committed to helping every student succeed in school and in life after graduation. www.csp.edu
Concrete Mode
One of the styles of cognitive functioning that describes the child’s approach to problem-solving at a simple, elementary level. Also, the use of tangible objects in instruction, as opposed to purely verbal instruction.
Concrete Operational Stage
Third stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, in which children develop concrete reasoning skills and an understanding of conservation.
Conductive Hearing Loss
Loss of hearing due to failure of sounds waves to reach the inner ear through the normal air conduction channels of the outer and middle ear.
Congenital
Any condition that is present at birth.
Conscious
Possession of awareness or mental life or having sensations and feelings. Also, the condition of an organism that is receiving impressions or having experiences.
Consequence
A behavior, event, or action that results directly from a specific behavior.
Consonant
A conventional speech sound produced, with or without laryngeal vibration, by certain successive contractions of the articulatory muscles which modify, interrupt, or obstruct the expired air stream to the extent that its pressure is raised.
Constructivist Approach
An approach focusing on a student’s performance and understanding instead of the measurement of skills and knowledge. This approach uses what a student already knows, and allows the student to incorporate and build on that knowledge in order to build their own learning experience.
Consultation
Providing information to another teacher about educational strategies.
Contextual influences
Factors and variables present in a student’s environment that influence or affect the student’s behavior.
Contingency
The conditions that must be met if a reinforcer is to be forthcoming. These conditions must be met fully prior to the presentation of the reward by the controlling agent.
Continuous Improvement and Focused Monitoring Process (CIFMP)
The monitoring process used by the U.S. Department of Education to check compliance and results of special education in the States.
Continuous Reinforcement
A schedule by which reinforcement is given after each response; a 1:1 relationship between response and reinforcement.
Continuum of Services
The range of different educational placement options that a school district can use to serve children with disabilities; range from least restrictive to most restrictive.
Contracture
Contracture is a permanent shortening of a muscle or tendon, causing loss of range of motion.
COOP
A Special Education Cooperative
Coordination
Coordination refers to the working together of various muscles for the production of a certain movement.
Cortical
Cortical refers to cerebral cortex, highest functioning level of the brain, or cognitive aspects of learning.
COTA
Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant
Council on Exceptional Children (CEC)
The largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted.
Counseling
Counseling refers to advice or help given by someone qualified to give such advice or help (often referring to psychological counseling).
County Case Management
County Case Management refers to the coordination of county services and programs for eligible persons by a county social worker.
CP (See Cerebral Palsy)
CPR
Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation
Criterion
A standard by which a test may be judged or evaluated; a set of scores, ratings, etc., that a test is designed to predict or to correlate with. (See validity)
Criterion-Referenced Test
A test that measures abilities in specific tasks rather than tests that compare a student to others in a norm group.
Critical Thinking
Solving problems by systematically examining the problem and the evidence and linking it with past knowledge.
Cross-Modal
Including more than one sensory modality.
CSPD (See Comprehensive System of Personnel Development)
CSSA
Community Social Services Act
Culture
The integrated patterns of human behavior that include thought, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, values, and institutions of a community or population.
Curriculum-based Assessment
Use of assessment materials and procedures that mirror instruction in order to ascertain whether specific instructional objectives have been accomplished and to monitor progress directly in the curriculum being taught.
Cyanosis
Cyanosis refers to a duskiness or bluish color on the skin caused by poor circulation or low oxygen concentration in the bloodstream.

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DAC
Development Achievement Center
DAPE
Developmental Adaptive Physical Education
Data Triangulation
A technique for analyzing data collected from an FBA assessment.
Day Classes
Offering services only during the daytime hours and provide no living accommodations for the students.
DB
Deaf-Blindness
DD
Developmental Delay or Developmental Disability
Deaf
A hearing loss so severe that speech cannot be understood aurally, even with a hearing aid; some sounds may still be perceived.
Deaf-Blind
Deaf-Blind refers to a combination of hearing and visual impairments, that can cause communication and other developmental and educational challenges.
DEC
Division for Early Childhood
Deficit
A level of performance that is less than expected for a child.
Department of Health (DOH)
The government agency whose mission is to promote health and sound health policy, prevent disease and disability, improve health services systems, and ensure that essential public health functions and safety-net services are available.
Department of Human Services
Department of Human Services (DHS) helps people meet their basic needs by providing or administering health care coverage, economic assistance, and a variety of services for children, people with disabilities, and older Minnesotans.
Developmental
Developmental means having to do with the steps or stages in growth and development of a child.
Developmental Assessments
Developmental Assessments are standardized measures of a child’s development as it compares to the development of other children at that age.
Developmental Disability (DD)
Any physical or mental condition that begins before the age of 18 years, causes the child to acquire skills at a slower rate than his/her peers, is expected to continue indefinitely, and impairs the child’s ability to function in society. For more information regarding Developmental Disabilities, visit the The Arc of the United States website at: www.thearc.org
Developmental History
Developmental History refers to the developmental progress of a child in such skills as sitting, walking and talking.
Developmental Reading
Pattern and sequence of typical reading growth and skill development in a child in the learning-to-read process.
DHS (See Department of Human Services)
Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. For more information regarding Diabetes, visit the American Diabetes Association website at: www.diabetes.org
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV (DSM-IV)
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV is the American Psychiatric Association’s manual for the classification and description of behavioral and emotional disorders.
Diagnostic Test
A test used to identify specific areas of weakness or strength. It measures components or subparts of a larger body of information or skill. Diagnostic achievement tests are most commonly used for reading, arithmetic, and writing.
Diagnostic-Prescriptive Teaching
An approach to instruction of students on an individual basis, with attention to strengths or weaknesses, followed by teaching prescriptives to remediate the weaknesses and develop the strengths.
Differential Reinforcement
A procedure in which any behavior except the targeted inappropriate response is reinforced; typically, this results in a reduction of the inappropriate behavior.
Direct Assessment
Directly observing a behavior and describing the conditions that surround it.
Direct Teaching
Direct Teaching is a way to provide instruction. The goal of this method is the students’ mastery of skills. Direct teaching demands that the instructor have a solid understanding of the subject material and present the material in a clear, logical, and sequential way.
Disability
Disability is a functional limitation that interferes with a person’s ability to walk, hear, talk, learn, etc.
Disequilibrium
The confused state present in Piaget’s theory of cognition when a person realizes that their current ways of thinking cannot be used to solve a problem.
Distractability
The involuntary shifting of a student’s attention from the task at hand to sounds, sights, and other stimuli that commonly occur in the environment.
DOH (See Department of Health)
DOL
Department Of Labor
Down Syndrome
Down Syndrome is the most common and readily identifiable chromosomal condition associated with mental retardation. It is caused by a chromosomal abnormality: for some unexplained reason, an accident in cell development results in 47 instead of the usual 46 chromosomes. This extra chromosome changes the orderly development of the body and brain. In most cases, the diagnosis of Down Syndrome is made according to results from a chromosome test administered shortly after birth. For more information regarding Down Syndrome, visit the Down Syndrome Association of Minnesota website at: www.dsamn.org.
DPH
Due Process Hearing
DPHO
Due Process Hearing Officer
DRS
Department of Rehabilitation Services
DS (See Down Syndrome)
DSD
Deaf Service Division (of DHS)
DSM-IV (See Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV)
Due Process
Set of legal requirements and proceedings carried out according to established rules and principles which are designed to protect an individual’s constitutional and legal rights.
Due Process Hearing
A legal proceeding, similar to a court proceeding, where a hearing officer is presented evidence by disagreeing parties. A verbatim record is taken of the proceedings, and a hearing officer writes a decision that may be appealed to the State education agency, and if desired, to a civil court.
Due Process Procedure
Due Process Procedure is an action that protects a person’s rights, in special education this applies to action taken to protect the educational rights of students with disabilities.
DVR
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (of the Department of Human Services)
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by challenges in spelling and decoding abilities. These challenges typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language, and are often unanticipated in relation to other cognitive abilities, and in the provision of effective classroom instruction.
Dyspraxia
Dyspraxia is a condition characterized by a difficulty with planning and performing coordinated movements although there is no apparent damage to muscles.

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EA (See Educational Assistant)
Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE)
A program for families with young children who have not yet entered kindergarten, with a focus on strengthening families and enhancing the ability of parents to support their child’s learning and development.
Early Intervention (EI)
Specialized services provided to infants and toddlers ages birth to three who are at risk for or are showing signs of developmental delay.
Early Intervention Services or Programs
Early Intervention Services or Programs are programs or services designed to identify and serve developmental needs as early as possible.
EBD
Emotional/Behavioral Disorder
EC
Early Childhood
ECFE
Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) is a program for families with young children who have not yet entered kindergarten, with a focus on strengthening families and enhancing the ability of parents to support their child’s learning and development.
ECG (See Electrocardiogram)
Echolalia
Echolalia is a stage of speech development characterized by parrot-like repeating.
ECSE
Early Childhood Special Education
ECSU
Educational Cooperative Service Unit
ED (See Emotional Disturbance)
Educational Assistant (EA)
A person who provides assistance to students under the supervision of the students’ teacher(s).
EEG
Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test to measure brain wave patterns.
EFM
Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota www.efmn.org
Egocentrism
Caring only about one’s self and/or centering one’s view around one’s own needs or desires.
EI (See Early Intervention)
EKG (See Electrocardiogram)
Electrocardiogram
A test to measure heart beat pattern.
Eligibility
Eligibility in special education refers to children who may receive special education services because of learning needs as they qualify within these regulations.
Eligible
Eligible means able to qualify.
ELL
English Language Learner
EMH
Educable Mentally Handicapped
Emotional Disturbance (ED)
A condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects educational performance.
  1. An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.
  2. An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.
  3. Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.
  4. A tendency to develop general pervasive moods of unhappiness or depression.
  5. A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.
Empathy
The ability to understand and feel the emotions of another person.
Enuresis
A lack of bladder control.
Environmental Factors
Variables that affect how children learn in school such as poverty, racial discrimination, lead exposure, lack of access to health care, and family stress.
EOG
EOG is an acronym for Electrooculogram.
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a brain disorder characterized by electrical signals in the brain being disrupted. This change in the brain leads to a seizure. Seizures can cause brief changes in a person’s: body movements, awareness, emotions, and senses (such as taste, smell, vision, or hearing). Some people may only have a single seizure during their lives. One seizure does not mean that a person has epilepsy. People with epilepsy have repeated seizures. Many seizure disorders are managed through medication. For more information regarding Epilepsy, visit the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota website at: www.efmn.org
EPS
Early and Periodic Screening
EPSDT
Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment
ESY (See Extended School Year)
Etiology
The cause(s) of a disability, impairment, or disease; may include genetic, physiological, environmental or psychological factors.
Evaluating
Evaluating refers to assessing a child’s special learning needs.
Evaluation
The process of utilizing formal and informal procedures to determine specific areas of a person’s strengths, needs, and eligibility for special education services.
Expressive language
Ability to use language to communicate and express oneself.
Extended School Year (ESY)
The delivery of special education and related services during the summer vacation or other extended periods when school is not in session. The purpose for ESY is to prevent a child with a disability from losing previously learned skills. The IEP team must consider the need for Extended School Year at each meeting and must describe those services specifically with goals and objectives. Not all special education students require an extended school year. Extended school year services must be individually crafted.
Extension
Extension refers to the act of straightening.
Extinction
A procedure in which reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior is withheld; if the actual reinforcers that are maintaining the behavior are identified and withheld, the behavior will gradually decrease in frequency until it no longer, or seldom, occurs.
Extremities
Extremities, refers to one’s legs or arms.
Eye-Hand Coordination
Eye-Hand Coordination refers to the use of organized hand movements after interpreting visual and tactile information.

F

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Fading (of Stimulus Control)
A technique for errorless learning whereby the teacher cues the child with multiple stimuli to makethe correct response. Gradually, the number of cues are reduced, or "faded," until only one stimulus comes to exert control over the responding.
Familial
Something which occurs among family members.
Family Assessment
Family Assessment refers to a family-directed identification of the needs of the family related to the development of the child.
Family Education Rights Privacy Act (FERPA)
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law designed to protect the privacy of a student’s education records. The law applies to all schools which receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s education records. These rights transfer to the student, or former student, who has reached the age of 18 or is attending any school beyond the high school level. Students and former students to whom the rights have transferred are called eligible students.
Family Infant Toddler Program (FIT)
A program that provides early intervention services to help families who have concerns about the development of their young child (birth to three).
Family Systems Theory
Based on the idea that an individual can only be understood within the context of his or her family system.
Family Therapy
A specialized type of group therapy in which the members of a given family make up the group.
Family-Centered Service
Provision of resources and supports to strengthen and enhance the competency of families, parents and their children.
FAP
Follow Along Program (through Public Health)
FAPE
Free Appropriate Public Education
FAS/FAE
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effect
FBA (See Functional Behavior Assessment)
FERPA (See Family Education Rights Privacy Act)
Figure-Ground Perception
The ability to attend to one aspect of the visual field while perceiving it in relation to the rest of the field.
Financial Worker
A Financial Worker is a person employed by a county to administrate financial assistance programs such as Medical Assistance, TEFRA, and other financial assistance programs.
Fine Motor Skills
Control of small muscles in the hands and fingers, which are needed for activities such as writing and cutting.
FIT (See Family Infant Toddler Program)
Flexion
Flexion refers to the act of bending.
Floor Time
This approach, developed by child psychiatrist Stanley Greenspan, is becoming increasingly popular among early interventionists working with two- and three-year-olds who demonstrate difficulties with self-regulation and symptoms of autism. Floor time focuses on the interactive relationship between the caregiver and child, attempting to enhance and increase turn taking and responsive interaction cycles through open-ended play activities (Greenspan & Weider, 1998).
Fluency
The ability to read a text accurately and quickly with appropriate pauses and emotion.
FM (See Focused Monitoring)
Focused Monitoring (FM)
A monitoring approach that examines those requirements most closely relating to improving results for children with disabilities and those States most in need of support to improve compliance and performance.
Formal Assessment
A formal assessment is conducted by professionals trained in assessment methodology in typical or atypical development.
Formal Operational Stage
Fourth and final stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, in which children develop abstract thinking and hypothetical reasoning skills.
Formative Assessment
Checking the understanding of a learner while or before instruction is being applied.
Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
Term used in P.L. 94-142 to mean special education and related services that are provided through an IEP and at no cost to the parents.
Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)
Functional behavioral assessment is generally considered to be a problem-solving process for addressing challenging student behavior. It relies on a variety of techniques and strategies to identify the purposes of specific behavior and to help IEP teams select interventions to directly address the challenging behavior.
Functional Behaviors
Behaviors (basic skills, such as meal-time skills) that a child has mastered, or needs to master, in order to get along as independently as possible in society.

G

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GA
General Assistance
Gastrostomy
Gastrostomy is a surgical opening through the abdominal wall, used for a tube feeding.
Gavage Feeding
Gavage Feeding is a method of feeding a baby fluids by inserting a small plastic tube through the mouth or nose into the stomach.
Generalization
The use of previously learned knowledge or skills under conditions different from which they were originally learned.
Genres
A category of composition that is associated with a particular style such as narratives, arguments, poetry, persuasive essays, etc.
Gifted & Talented (GT)
Refers to students with above average intellectual abilities.
GLD
General Learning Disabilities
Grammatical
According to the rules of grammar.
Gross Motor Skills
Control of large muscles in the arms, legs and torso, which are needed for activities such as running and walking.
GT (See Gifted and Talented)
Guided Discovery
Teaching strategy where the learner is given the tools to solve a problem and made responsible to find a solution with minimal instructor intervention.

H

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Habilitation
The process of helping an individual develop specific skills and abilities (i.e., dressing, eating, maneuvering a wheelchair) in order to become as independent and productive as possible.
Hard-of-Hearing
A hearing loss, whether permanent or fluctuating, which may affect the processing of linguistic information and may adversely affect educational performance.
HCBS
Home and Community Based Services
Head Start
A federal program started in 1965 aimed at providing a comprehensive preschool program for children ages three to five from low-income families. Planned activities are designed to address individual needs and to help children attain their potential in growth and mental and physical development before starting school. Ten percent of enrollment is required to be for children with disabilities.
Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act (HIPAA)
Federal regulation that outlines the confidentiality and protection of medical records.
Hearing Aid
An electronic device that conducts and amplifies sound to the ear.
Hearing Conservation
Any program undertaken to preserve hearing and to prevent hearing loss through public education, through screening programs to identify persons needing attention, and through reduction of occupational hazards that pose a threat to a worker’s hearing.
Hearing Loss Degrees
Hearing loss was originally defined in medical terms before the development of modern audiology. Today professionals use the consistent, research-based terminology of audiology, as well as less-defined educational and cultural descriptions. The following numerical values are based on the average of the hearing loss at three frequencies 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, and 2000 Hz, in the better ear without amplification. The numerical values for the seven categories vary from author to author:

Normal hearing (-10 dB to 15 dB)
Slight loss (16 dB to 25 dB)
Mild loss (26 dB to 30 dB)
Moderate loss (31 dB to 50 dB)
Moderate/Severe (51 dB to 70 dB)
Severe loss (71 dB to 90 dB)
Profound loss (91 dB or more)
Hemiparesis
Hemiparesis is a muscle weakness or slight paralysis of one side of the body.
Hemiplegia
Hemiplegia is a complete paralysis of one side of the body.
Hemophilia
An inherited deficiency in blood-clotting ability, which can cause serious bleeding.
Heredity
Traits acquired from parents as the result of the action of a single gene or a complex of genes.
HEW
Health, Education and Welfare Department
HHA
Home Health Aid
HI
Hearing Impaired
High Stakes Tests
High stakes tests are tests that, if not passed, will deny a student graduation until it is passed.
Higher Order Thinking
Thinking that takes place in the higher levels of the hierarchy of cognitive processing beginning from knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, to evaluation.
HIPAA (See Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act)
Hitting
When a child hits another child, it is upsetting for everyone involved, including the child care provider and parents. Hitting is a form of aggression that is more typical in younger children and tapers off as children learn more appropriate ways to communicate their needs. A good approach to hitting is to observe and record the events that occur right before and right after a child hits, and then evaluate what the child is ‘getting’ from hitting or the reason for the reaction. Try to find a different way for the child to get that need met. For consultation support, contact CICC through dea@fraser.org
Hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within cavities called ventricles inside the brain. For more information regarding Hydrocephalus, visit the Hydrocephalus Foundation, Inc. website at: www.hydrocephalus.org
Hydrocephaly
Hydrocephaly is an increased volume of cerebrospinal fluid within the skull that ordinarily produces an enlargement of the cranium.
Hypertonia
Hypertonia refers to an increase of muscle tone.
Hypertonic
Hypertonic means stiff or tense muscle tone.
Hypothesis
An educated guess or theory meant to solve a problem or answer a question. A Hypothesis Statement is a concise summary of information collected during assessment that represents or explains a "best guess" regarding the reason(s) for a behavior. A hypothesis statement should allow the IEP team to spell out a three-fold process-when X occurs, the student does Y in order to achieve Z-and to translate that knowledge into an individualized behavior intervention plan.
Hypotonia
Hypotonia refers to a decrease of muscle tone.
Hypotonic
Hypotonic means weak or flaccid muscle tone.
Hz (Hertz)
A unit of sound frequency equal to one cycle per second; used to measure pitch.

I

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ICC
Interagency Coordinating Council
ICF/MR
Intermediate Care Facility for Mentally Retarded persons
IDEA (See Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)
IDEA 2004(See Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004)
Identified
Identified in special education refers to the local ‘child find’ efforts.
Idiopathic
Pertains to a pathological condition of spontaneous origin; that is, not the result of some other disorder or injury.
IECIP
Interagency Early Childhood Intervention Project
IEE (See Independent Educational Evaluation)
IEIC (See Interagency Early Intervention Committee)
IEP (See Individual Education Program)
IFAP
Infant Follow Along Program
IFSP (See Individual Family Service Plan)
IHCP (See Individualized Health Care Plan)
IHP
Individualized Habilitation Plan
IIIP (See Individual Interagency Intervention Plan)
IL
Independent Living
Immediate antecedents
"Immediate antecedents" refer to that which occurs immediately before an event
Impulsivity
Reacting to a situation without reflecting on the consequences.
Inclusion
Inclusion is characterized by a feeling of belonging, not by mere proximity. Inclusion is children of all abilities learning, playing and working together.
Incompatible Response
Any combination of responses that cannot occur simultaneously: in seat behavior is incompatible with out-of-seat behavior.
Identified
Identified in special education refers to the local ‘child find’ efforts.
Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE)
An evaluation conducted by a qualified examiner who is not employed by the school district responsible for the education of the child.
Indirect Assessment
Gathering information about a student from other sources besides directly observing the student.
Individual Interagency Intervention Plan (IIIP)
A written plan for children ages 3-5, similar to the IFSP. State law mandates a phased-in application of this plan by July 2003 for all children under age 21 who receive Special Education Services, and services from one other public program. A single service coordinator may not be named, but some method of coordinating services must be identified.
Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is a written education plan for students ages 5 to 22 with disabilities, developed by a team of professionals, (teachers, therapists, etc.) and the child’s parent(s). It is reviewed and updated yearly. It contains a description of the child’s level of development, learning needs, goals and objectives, and services the child will receive.
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
A written plan for an infant or toddler (ages birth through 2 years old) and his or her family which may be interagency in nature; it is developed by a team of people who have worked with the child and the family and is reviewed and updated yearly; it contains a description of the child’s level of development, needs of the child and family, outcomes and objectives, and services to be provided.
Individualized Health Care Plan (IHCP)
A plan developed by the school nurse in collaboration with parents and teachers that outlines specific health care procedures to be provided to a student.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1990 and 1997 is the federal law that addresses intervention services for children. The section of the law covering children from birth through age 2 was called Part H of IDEA. Each state passes its own additional law and writes rules to be followed in carrying out federal law. This state law brings together services from the departments of education, health, and human services. Because the three agencies are working together in a coordinated way, families have easier access to services.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 (IDEA 2004)
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 is the new name given to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act when it was reauthorized and changed in late 2004. This law is the major federal education law concerning students with disabilities. IDEA 2004 ensures that students with disabilities have access to a free appropriate education in public schools.
Inferior Pincher Grasp
Inferior Pincher Grasp means that the thumb, the index finger, and the middle finger engage in a functional three-point pinch.
Informal Assessment
Informal assessment means observing and recording a child’s behavior over time and in a variety of settings utilizing informal documentation, not formal assessment tools.
Inhibition
Restraint or control exercised over an impulse, drive, or response tendency.
Inquiry Learning
A learning method where students develop solutions to their own questions under the guidance of a teacher.
Inquiry-Based Instruction
Teaching by asking puzzling questions that lead the learner to solve a specific problem.
Instructional Feedback
Verbal or written information to an individual about his/her performace. Can be objective, descriptive or evaluative.
Instructional Objective
The intended educational goal of a lesson, or what a teacher intends a student to learn during a lesson.
Instructional Resources
Resources that can be used during instruction.
Instructional Technology
Technology that is used to enhance the curriculum being taught. That is, the technology actually changes the way the teacher is planning or delivering information to the students.
Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
The score of an intelligence test that is a form of psychological testing of an individual’s capacity to learn and deal effectively with his/her environment.
Interagency
Interagency refers to the utilization of multiple agencies in a community working together to provide children and their families with a wide range of resources.
Interagency Agreement
A document signed by authorized representatives of at least two agencies outlining mutually agreed upon responsibilities to perform certain duties under specified conditions.
Interagency Early Intervention Committee (IEIC)
The local level committee responsible for planning and coordinating early intervention services among local agencies.
Interval Schedules of Reinforcement
Those intermittent schedules of reinforcement in which the contingency is based on the passage of time since the last reinforcement. In general, the overall rate of responding on interval schedules is low compared to ratio schedules.
Intervening Variable
A factor, inferred to be present between stimulus and response which accounts for one response rather than another to a certain stimulus. The intervening variable may be inferred without further specification, or it may be given concrete properties and may become an object of investigation.
Intervention
A planned activity to increase students’ skills. May be preventative (keeping possible problems from becoming a serious disability), remedial (increasing skills) or compensatory (giving the individual new ways to deal with the disability).
IPP
Individual Program Plan
IQ (See Intelligence Quotient)
ISD
Independent School District
ISP
Individualized Service Plan

J

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Jargon
A stage of speech development characterized by unintelligible jumble of syllables.
Job Coach
A person who is responsible for supervision and training of persons with disabilities at specific integrated work-sites.

K

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Kinesiology
The study of bodily movement, particularly as it relates to and affects communication.
Kinesthetic Method
A method of teaching words by using the muscles and motor movement.

L

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LA
Lead Agency
Language
A system used by a group of people for giving meaning to sounds, words, gestures, and other symbols to enable communication with one another. Languages can use vocal or nonvocal symbols, or use movements and physical symbols instead of sounds.
Language Pathology
Study of the causes and treatment of disorders of symbolic behavior.
LAPHIP
Legal Advocacy Project for Hearing Impaired Persons
LD
Learning Disability
LEA (See Local Education Agency)
Lead Agency
The agency within a state or area in charge of overseeing and coordinating early childhood programs and services; in Minnesota, the state lead agency is the Department of Children, Families and Learning. Local communities may identify a local lead agency.
Learning Disability
Learning Disability is a general term that describes specific kinds of learning problems. A learning disability can cause a person to have challenges learning and using certain skills. The skills most often affected are: reading, writing, listening, speaking, reasoning, and doing math. For more information, contact www.ldonline.org.
Learning Strategies
An instructional method that is based on teaching metacognitive strategies in order to learn academic and behavioral skills.
Learning Styles
Defines how people prefer to receive information according to their senses (auditory, visual, kinesthetic, tactile).
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
The educational setting or program that provides a student with as much contact as possible with children without disabilities, while still appropriately meeting all of the child’s learning and physical needs.
Lecture-Based Instruction
A teaching style in which information is disseminated directly to the class from the instructor.
LEP (See Limited English Proficiency)
Lesson Plans
The preplanned information and teaching approach for each class period.
LIFE
Learning Independence From Experience (State Services for the Blind)
Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
Children whose primary language is other than English.
Lip Reading
The interpretation of lip and mouth movements, facial expressions, gestures, prosodic and melodic aspects of speech, structural charactersitics of language, and topical and contextual clues.  Also called speechreading.
Local Education Agency (LEA)
The public schools operating in accordance with statutes, regulations, and policies of the State Department of Education.
Longitudinal
Lengthwise, running in the direction of the long axis of the body, organ, or part.
Lovaas’ Discrete Trial Approach
This traditional behavioral approach is highly structured and often uses tangible reinforcers (e.g., candy or tokens) for specific behavior (e.g., eye contact or naming objects). The discrete trial approach typically requires approximately 30 to 40 hours per week, of intensive one-on-one specific response training (McEachin, Smith, & Lovaas, 1993).
Loudness
The intensity factor in sound.
LPA
Local Primary Agency
LPN
Licensed Practical Nurse
LRA
Least Restrictive Alternative
LRE (See Least Restrictive Environment)
LTC
Long Term Care

M

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MA
Medical Assistance (Medicaid) or Mental Age
MACLD
Minnesota Association of Children and adults with Learning Disabilities
Mainstreaming
Mainstreaming means providing any services, including education, for children with disabilities, in a setting with other children who do not have disabilities – benefiting all children.
Maladaptive Behavior
Those behaviors judged as inappropriate or ineffective in a given context, such as the classroom. In general, such behaviors interfere with a child’s learning or social interaction and lead to discomfort.
Managed Care
A medical insurance process whereby medical services are only authorized through a primary care provider rather than an individual being able to see a specialist or participate in a therapy program directly.
Manifestation Determination Hearing
Hearings at which a decision must be made as to whether or not a school policy violation by a special education student is related to his/her disability.
Manipulatives
Tangible items, such as blocks, that allow students to process ideas through concrete movement of items.
MAPVI
Minnesota Association of Parents of the Visually Impaired
Maturation
The process of maturing or developing mentally, physically, or emotionally.
Maturational Lag
A slowness in certain specialized aspects of neurological development.
MC/RC
MC/RC refers to a Home & Community Based Waiver for Persons with Mental Retardation or Related Conditions (Title 19).
MCEA
Minnesota Community Education Association
MCH
Maternal and Child Health
MCQE
Minnesota Council on Quality Education
MCSHN (See Minnesota Children with Special Health Needs)
MD
Muscular Dystrophy
MDE (See Minnesota Department of Education)
Mean
The arithmetical average, the sum of all scoresdivided by the number of scores.
Meaning-based
An instructional approach that focuses on engaging the student in the meaning of what he or she is studying.
Medical Model
Addresses the cause of a behavior to be physically based and supports medical intervention for reducing negative behavior. Under this model, behavior is assessed as a symptom of a physical disorder (ie. Chemical imbalance, neurological deficit, etc.) and prescribes treatment of the medical condition.
Medication
A compound, drug, or medicine, used to treat disease, injury, pain, or other symptoms.
MEED
Minnesota Educators of Emotionally Disturbed
Memory
The ability to store and retrieve previously learned information.
Mental Age (MA)
An expression of the level of performance obtained on a standardized test, such as the Stanford-Binet, compared with the performance of the average person of a given chronological age. For example: a child with a CA (Chronological Age) of 6-0 who passes all tests at the six-year level would have a MA of 6-0, etc.
MFBHS
Minnesota Foundation for Better Hearing and Speech
MH
Mental Health or Mentally Handicapped
MHAC
Mental Health Advocates Coalition of Minnesota
MHPD
Mental Health Program Division (Department of Human Services)
MI
Mental Illness
MI/HI
Mentally Ill/Hearing Impaired (Persons)
Microcephalic
An abnormal smallness of head.
Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral Network (MNCCR&R)
The Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral Network (MNCCR&R) provides statewide leadership in shaping collaborations that build a diverse, high quality child care system accessible to all Minnesota families through local child care resource and referral services. www.mnchildcare.org
Minnesota Children with Special Health Needs
Minnesota Children with Special Health Needs (MCSHN) is a public program that seeks to improve the quality of life for children with special health needs and their families. MCSHN promotes the optimal health, well-being, respect and dignity of children and youth with special health needs and their families and provides statewide support. MCSHN’s goal is healthier children, youth, families and communities. www.health.state.mn.us/mcshn
Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments
These tests chart the progress of schools and districts over time, generate information for school improvement and school accountability and allow for comparison of schools and districts in Minnesota. Schools use these results to make curricular and instructional decisions for all students. Identifying strengths and weaknesses early can help districts make the best decisions about curriculum and instruction.
Minnesota Department of Education
Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is a department dedicated to improving educational achievement by establishing clear standards, measuring performance, assisting educators, and increasing opportunities for lifelong learning.
MIPD
Mental Illness Program Division (of Department of Human Services)
MMH
Mild-Moderate Mentally Handicapped
MNCCR&R (See Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral Network)
Mobility Aides
Examples of Mobility Aides include:
  1. Sighted guide - a person who is sighted, who takes a person who is blind, to a destination.
  2. Dog guide - a specifically trained dog, used by a person who is blind, to take him or her to a destination
  3. Cane - a white or silver cane often with a red tip used for getting to and from a destination.
  4. Electronic Aides - these are usually more successful when used as a companion with the cane. Two of the more acceptable ones are the Laser Cane and the Kayne Spectacles.
Modality
An avenue of acquiring sensation; the visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, olfactory, and gustatory modalities are the most common sense modalities.
Modeling
A procedure for learning in which the individual observes a model perform some task and then imitates the performance of the model. This form of learning accounts for much verbal and motor learning in young children.
Monitoring
State and federal authorities monitor all agencies which provide any type of special education services Compliance monitors conduct site visits, review files, and investigate complaints to ensure that all federal and state laws are being adhered to.
Morpheme
A group of letters that convey meaning but cannot be divided into smaller meaningful parts. For example, a word such as man or the part of the word such as ed in stopped.
Motivation
A stimulus to action; something (a need or desire) that causes one to act.
Motor
Pertaining to the origin or execution of muscular activity.
Motor Development
Physical development.
MPRRC
Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center
MR
Mental Retardation
MR/RC
Mental Retardation and Related Conditions
MRPD
Mental Retardation Program Division (of Department of Human Services)
MS
Minnesota Statutes or Multiple Sclerosis
MSA
Minnesota Supplemental Aid
MSB
Minnesota Society for the Blind
MSHA
Minnesota Speech-Language-Hearing Association
MSMI
Moderate-Severe Mentally Impaired
MSSA
Minnesota Social Service Association
MSSB
Minnesota State Services for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (also known as SSB)
MSSD
Minnesota State Services for the Deaf
Multisensory
Generally applied to training procedures which simultaneously utilize more than one sense modality.
Muscle Tone
Muscle Tone refers to a condition in which a muscle is in a steady state of contraction.
Music Therapy
A therapeutic service to meet recreational or educational goals. Music therapy includes playing instruments, moving to music, singing, and listening to music. It is utilized in a variety of applications in schools, hospitals, and private settings through both individual and group approaches, often in conjunction with other types of therapy. Both music education and music therapy contribute to special education by promoting learning and self-growth through enjoyable activities.

N

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NAD
National Association of the Deaf
NADDC
National Association of Developmental Disabilities Councils
NAEYC (See National Association for the Education of Young Children)
NASDSE
National Association of State Directors of Special Education
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth through age 8. Founded in 1926, NAEYC is the world’s largest organization working on behalf of young children with nearly 100,000 members, a national network of over 300 local, state, and regional Affiliates, and a growing global alliance of like-minded organizations. Visit the National Association for the Education of Young Children website at: www.naeyc.org
National Early Childhood and Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC)
The organization funded by the U.S. Department of Education that provides technical assistance in the area of early childhood special education.
Natural Environment
The natural or everyday settings for your child. These are places where the child would be if they didn’t have a special developmental concern. It is where all children would be (for example, home, childcare, parks, etc.).
Naturalistic Observation
A type of observation where the observer begins without any preconceived ideas about what will be observed and describes behavior that seems important.
NCLB (See No Child Left Behind)
NECTAC (See National Early Childhood and Technical Assistance Center)
Negative Reinforcement
A procedure for strengthening behavior when the consequence of that behavior is the termination or avoidance of an aversive stimulus. That is, the response is followed by the avoidance or termination of some event noxious to the individual.
NFB
National Federation of the Blind www.nfb.org
NICHCY
National Information Center for Handicapped Children and Youth
NICU
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
Reauthorized in 2001, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is the principal federal law affecting education from kindergarten through high school for children "at risk." The NCLB provides opportunities for children to learn and progress.
Non-Ambulatory
Not able to walk independently.
Norm
An average, common, or standard performance under specified conditions, e.g., the average achievement test score of nine-year-old children or the average birth weight of male children.
Norms
Statistics that describe the test performance of specified groups, such as pupils of various ages or grades in the standardization group for a test. Norms are often assumed to be representative of some larger population, as of pupils in the country as a whole. Norms are descriptive of average, typical, or mediocre performance; they are not to be regarded as standards, or as desirable levels of attainment. Grade, age, and percentile are the most common types of norms.
NSAC
National Society for Autistic Children and Adults
Nystagmus
A constant, involuntary, more or less cyclical movement of the eyeball. Movement may be in any direction.

O

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Objective Observation
Audiotape, videotape, or written notation of behaviors. Can include tallies for frequency, duration, or speed; can be a narrative transcription of the actions and verbalizations observed.
Occupational Therapist (OT)
A professional who provides therapy services based on engagement in meaningful activities of daily life such as self-care skills, education, recreation, work or social interaction.
Occupational Therapy
A therapy or treatment provided by an Occupational Therapist that helps an individual develop mental or physical skills that will aid in daily living; it focuses on the use of hands and fingers, on coordination of movement, and on self help skills such as dressing, eating with a fork and spoon, etc.
OCR (See Office for Civil Rights)
Ocular
Pertaining to the eye.
Oculomotor
Relates to movements of the eyeball.
ODD (See Oppositional Defiant Disorder)
Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
The Office for Civil Rights enforces several federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance from the Department of Education.
Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
Dedicated to improving results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21 by providing oversight, leadership, and financial support to assist States and local districts. OSEP administers the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
OHI
Other Health Impaired
OI (See Orthopedic Impairment)
Olfactory
Pertaining to the sense of smell.
OM (O&M) (See Orientation and Mobility)
Open-ended Question
Question that can only be answered with explanations, never with yes or no.
Operational
Based on empirical and measurable phenomena.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
Oppositional Defiant Disorder is typified by children who exhibit defiant and anti-social behaviors over a long period of time and in various environments.
Optometrist
A health care provider who specializes in refractive errors, prescribes eyeglasses or contact lenses, and diagnoses and manages conditions of the eye as regulated by state laws. May also perform low vision examinations.
Oral Method
Method of teaching communication of language, to people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, by spoken words.
Oral Motor
Movement involving the mouth.
Orientation and Mobility (O&M)
O&M, is an acronym for Orientation and Mobility (State Services for the Blind). Orientation and Mobility services are provided by qualified personnel to those who are blind or visually impaired. O and M services can enable a child to safely move in school and other environments.
Orientations
Individuals’ use of their remaining senses to establish their position and relationship to objects in the environment.
Orthopedic Impairment (OI)
Any orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.
OSEP (See Office of Special Education Programs)
OSERS
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services
OT (See Occupational Therapist)
Other Health Impaired
An educational classification that describes students who have chronic or acute health problems that cause limited strength, vitality, or alertness that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.
Otology
The study and treatment of the ear.

P

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PA (P&A) (See Protection and Advocacy)
PAC
Parent Advisory Council
PACER
Parent Advocacy Coalition for Education Rights. PACER Center is a National Center based in Minnesota. The website address for PACER Center is: www.pacer.org
Palate
The roof of the mouth.
Paper-based resources
Reso