Terminology M-R

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MA

Medical Assistance (Medicaid) or Mental Age

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.

Maturation

The process of maturing or developing mentally, physically, or emotionally.

Maturational Lag

A slowness in certain specialized aspects of neurological development.

Mean

The arithmetical average, the sum of all scoresdivided by the number of scores.

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.

MH

Mental Health or Mentally Handicapped

MMH

Mild-Moderate Mentally Handicapped

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.

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.

MR

Mental Retardation

MSMI

Moderate-Severe Mentally Impaired

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.

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NAD

National Association of the Deaf. www.nad.org

NADDC

National Association of Developmental Disabilities Councils.  www.nacdd.org

NAEYC (See National Association for the Education of Young Children)

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.www.nectac.org

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.).

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. http://www.nichcy.org/resources

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.

Nystagmus

A constant, involuntary, more or less cyclical movement of the eyeball. Movement may be in any direction.

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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.

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.www.hhs.gov/ocr/

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). www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html

OHI

Other Health Impaired

OI (See Orthopedic Impairment)

Olfactory

Pertaining to the sense of smell.

OM (O&M) (See Orientation and Mobility)

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.

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PACER

Parent Advocacy Coalition for Education Rights.www.pacer.org

Palate

The roof of the mouth.

Paraplegia

Paralysis of the legs and lower part of the body.

Paraprofessional

One whose position is either instructional in nature or who delivers other direct services to individuals and/or their parents. Also works under the supervision of a professional staff member who is responsible for the overall management of the program area including the design, implementation, and evaluation of instructional programs and the individual’s progress.

Part B

Part B refers to the section of the federal special education regulations that address school-aged children.

Part C

Part C refers to the section of the federal special education regulations that address children birth through two years old.

Partially Sighted

A term formally used to indicate visual acuity of 20/70 to 20/200, but also used to describe visual impairment in which usable vision is present.

Pathology

The study of the nature of disease and its resulting structural and functional changes.

PDD

            See Pervasive Developmental Disorder

PDD-NOS

           See Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not otherwise specified

PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System)

Children with autism often handle visual/graphic information more easily than auditory/ verbal information, although many children with autism may prefer use of peripheral vision to central vision. One successful approach to developing communication is the use of the picture exchange communication system (PECS). This fairly simple approach requires the child to select a picture card, approach the adult, and hand the adult the card to make a request or comment. This approach has several advantages for children with autism:

      It focuses on functional communication.

      It requires little interaction and exchange.

      It relies more on visual information than on auditory.

      It provides an acceptable replacement behavior for children whose communicative behaviors have become disruptive and inappropriate.

Pediatrics

The study and treatment of children and their care.

Perception

Receiving and deriving meaning from information received through the senses.

Perceptual Motor Development

Development of children’s ability to move different parts of their bodies as they get involved with objects and people they perceive. Requires a combination of motor and cognitive skills.

Perceptual-Motor

A term describing the interaction of the various channels of perception with motor activity. The channels of perception include visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic.

Performance Deficit

An ability to engage in a desired behavior, but failing to do so when specific conditions are present.

Perseveration

The tendency for one to persist in a specific act or behavior after it is no longer appropriate.

Petit Mal Seizure

A type of seizure that is characterized by short lapses of consciousness.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder

 PDD or pervasive developmental disorder is a behavioral disorder of speech, communication, social interaction, and repetitive type compulsive behavior. Autism is a form of PDD. There are five types of PDD's. The most commonly encountered are PDD NOS (pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified), childhood autism, and Asperger's syndrome.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified

 Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) is a          condition in which some - but not all - features of autism or another explicitly identified Pervasive Developmental Disorder are identified.

PH

Physically Handicapped

Phobia

Pathological fear of some specific stimulus or situation.

Phoneme

The smallest unit of sound that still conveys meaning such as the m of mat and the b of bat.

Phonemic Awareness

An understanding of phonemes—the smallest phonetic, or sound, unit in a word that still conveys meaning, such as m of mat and the b of bat.

Phonetic Method

An approach to the treatment of articulation difficulties in which the therapist directs attention to the specific movements and placements of the articulatory structures.

Phonics

A method of teaching reading and spelling that trains beginners to associate letters with their sound values—the way words sound when spoken.

Physical Therapy

Therapy or treatment provided by a physical therapist that helps improve the use of bones, muscles, joints, and/or nerves.

PI

Physically Impaired

Pitch

The level of a tone or a sound.

PKU

Phenylketonuria

PL

Public Law

PL 94-142

PL 94-142 refers to the Education of Handicapped Children Act of 1975. (This law became PL 101-476 and then later PL 105-15). This Law requires that public schools provide a “free, appropriate public education” to eligible children ages 3-22, regardless of disability. It is also called the Education of all Handicapped Children Act, and is now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA.)

PL 99-457

PL 99-457 refers to the Education of the Handicapped Amendment of 1986. It relates to infants and toddlers. (This law became PL 101-476, which later became PL105-15). Public Law 99-457 is an amendment to PL 94-142 passed in 1986 which requires states and territories to provide a free, appropriate public education to all eligible children ages 3-5 by school year 1991-92. It provides funds for states and territories to offer programs and services to infants and children with disabilities, ages birth through 2 years

PL 101-476

PL 101-476 refers to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA). (This law was formerly identified as PL 94-142 and PL 99-457. It later became PL 105-15).

PL 105-15

PL 105-15 refers to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA).

Placement

The classroom, program, and/or therapy that is selected for a student with a disability.

PMR

Profoundly Mentally Retarded (Persons)

POHI

            Physically and Other Health Impaired

Positive Reinforcement

Any stimulus which, when made contingent upon a particular response, will strengthen that response. The acid test of which stimuli are positively reinforcing to a given individual is whether or not it does strengthen a given response. Positive reinforcement is a very effective way to influence children’s behavior. It is one of the most basic of all guidance strategies. It can be verbal, physical, social, and tangible. It includes an encouraging phrase, a pat on the back, a smile, a favorite activity, a sticker, or other prizes. Each child will respond differently to each type of reinforcement, so in order to be effective, we must find the reinforcement which the child values. (Kaiser, Rasminsky, 2003).

Postnatal

Occurring after birth.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Occurs as a result of exposure to a traumatic event or events -- whether a single ordeal, such as a car accident, natural disaster, or act of violence, or years of abuse or neglect

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS)

A genetic condition caused by abnormalities on chromosome 15, which is missing genes that usually come from the father. The disorder causes cognitive disabilities, low muscle tone, shortness of stature, and an uncontrollable appetite that can lead to obesity.

Pragmatic

 In speech therapy, pragmatic generally refers to the use of language in social contexts, including rules that govern language functions andforms of messages when communicating; day-to-day practical applications of language and communication.

Pre-Operational Stage

Second stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, in which children’s thought is dominated by what is seen.

Prenatal

Existing or occurring prior to birth.

Preschool Special Education

An educational program that is designed to meet the unique developmental needs of an individual child with a disability who is three, four, or five years of age. It is a child-focused educational effort. Preschool Special Education is sometimes referred to as Section 619 of the law.

Present Levels of Educational Performance (PLEP)

Statements written in the IEP that accurately describe the student’s strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles.

Prior Written Notice (PWN)

Prior Written Notice (PWN) must be used to inform parents of their rights. It is a form that schools must use to tell parents why they’re doing what they’re doing, or why they’re not doing what they’re not doing. They must tell parents in writing.

Prognosis

Prediction or judgment concerning the course, duration, termination, and recovery from a pathological condition.

Progress Reports

A procedure designed to determine if the objectives of the individual’s program plan are being achieved, and to continue or modify the plan, as appropriate.

Prone

The position of lying on one’s stomach.

Proprioceptive

Capable of receiving stimuli originating in muscles, tendons, and other internal tissues.

Proprioceptor

A receptor which responds to pressure, position, or stretch.

Prosthesis

An artificial replacement for a limb, tooth, or other part of the body.

Proxmial stability

A child’s ability to sit upright and exert trunk control.

Psychologist

A specialist in the field of psychology who usually has a Master’s degree or Ph.D. in psychology.

Psychomotor

Pertaining to the motor effects of psychological processes. Psychomotor tests are tests of motor skill which depend upon sensory or perceptual motor coordination.

Psychosocial Development

The psychological development of a person in relation to his or her social environment.

PT

Physical Therapist

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Quadriplegia

Paralysis affecting all four limbs.

Quadruped

Quadruped refers to those who move about on all four limbs (e.g. crawling).

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RDS (See Respiratory Distress Syndrome)

Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)

 RAD is characterised by markedly disturbed and developmentally inappropriate social relatedness in most contexts, beginning before the age of 5 years. RAD arises from a failure to form normal attachments to primary care giving figures in early childhood. For more information regarding RAD, visit the website at:www.radkid.org/

Receptive Language

Language that is spoken or written by others and received by the individual. The receptive language skills are listening and reading.

Referral

In special education, families are referred to a local early intervention system for screening and evaluation to see if eligibility criteria are met for special education services.

Reflex

A movement performed involuntarily as a result of the stimulation of a sensory nerve which sends an impulse through a connecting nerve to a nerve center and thence to a motor nerve; this functional unit of the nervous system is called a reflex arc.

Regression

The return to a previous or earlier developmental phase of adaptation, partially or symbolically, of more infantile ways of gratification.

Rehabilitation Act of 1973

This act guarantees that individuals with disabilities have access to buildings and programs for which federal dollars have been spent and it protects the rights of individuals not to be discriminated against in jobs where federal dollars are being used. This legislation has been instrumental in increasing the accessibility of parks, monuments, museums, schools, universities, and other public buildings for individuals with disabilities. Section 504 of this law addresses education specifically, and provides for accommodations and related services for students in general education.

Reinforcement

A procedure that applies reinforcers to strengthen a behavior.

Related Services

Related Services include transportation and development, corrective, and other support services that a child with disabilities requires in order to benefit from special education. Examples of related services include: audiology, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, counseling services, interpreters for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, and medical services for diagnostic and evaluation purposes.

Residential School

This school provides a “home-away-from-home” setting for children, and is primarily used for children with multiple disabilities or whose school district cannot give them the special help they need.

Resource Teacher

A licensed special education teacher who works with students with disabilities and may also act as a consultant to other teachers, providing materials and methods to help children who are having challenges within the regular classroom. The resource teacher may work from a centralized resource room within a school where appropriate materials are housed.

Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Respiratory Distress Syndrome is often called Hyaline Membrane Disease. It causes breathing problems in newborns.

Respite

A temporary break from providing care for a child with a disability.

Rett Syndrome (RS)

A diagnosis along the autism spectrum.

Rigidity

A tendency for the muscles to become very stiff after they have been extended.

ROM

Range Of Motion

Rote Memorization

Putting information into long-term memory through constant repetition without necessarily comprehending the information.