Disability Jargon Terms
- AAC: Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
- Children with severe or complex communication needs, oftentimes the result of various types of disabilities, e.g. cerebral palsy, autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, sometimes utilize various types of communication boards or devices that can augment or enhance their abilities to communicate. These can take a variety of forms and oftentimes require working with an AAC specialist, who is usually a speech and language pathologist with additional types of training.
- ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act.
- The ADA is a landmark piece of civil rights legislation which was signed into law by President Bush on July 26, 1990. It outlines very specific protections for individuals with disabilities in the areas of public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services and telecommunications. Various aspects of the legislation have gone into effect over the years impacting upon all organizations/systems at one level or another. Learning more about requirements of the law will be critical for all citizens.
- ADD/ADHD: Attention-Deficit Disorder or Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
- This disorder is currently undergoing major policy evaluation fueled by parents and professionals who feel it should stand alone as a separate disability category, and not be subsumed under other types of disabilities (e.g. SLD, SED, etc.). The IDEA is supporting major research and evaluation efforts currently to understand the issues involved. There is no professional consensus regarding an appropriate definition for this disorder, nor are there uniformly agreed-to diagnostic criteria for either a medical or educational diagnosis of ADD. However, it is becoming a frequent label for children with such symptoms as: inattentiveness, disorganization, impulsivity, with hyperactivity present, but not always.
- Albinism.
- A hereditary condition characterized by a variable lack of pigment in the eyes, skin, or hair. People with albinism may have pale pink skin and blond to white hair, but there are different types of albinism, and the amount of pigment varies. The irises of their eyes may be white or pinkish. They are sensitive to bright light and glare and commonly have other vision problems. While some people with albinism can see well enough to drive, many have impaired vision or may even be legally blind.
- ASD: Autism Spectrum Disorders.
- This has become a "catch-all" phrase for referring to a range of disorders that are characterized by varying degrees of impairment in communication skills, social interactions, and restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior. Dr. Leo Kanner in 1943 first introduced the term early infantile autism into the psychological and medical fields. Since that time work has been done to further understand the varieties of behaviors which present in a child (more often in boys than girls) from the more classic and severe autistic behaviors, to more milder cases such as Asperger Syndrome; or otherwise non-specified instances, often referred to as pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Autism spectrum disorders is now used to represent conditions that could fall within this range of behaviors.
- ASL: American Sign Language.
- ASL is a language whose medium is visible rather than aural. It is the preferred method of communication for many individuals who are deaf. Like any other language, ASL has its own vocabulary, idioms, grammar and syntax, which is different from English or "Signed English", and differs from country to country, and can be different across regions, given idiosyncratic, cultural issues found in each region. A combination of "Signed English" and SDL can also be found, and is referred to as "Pidgin Sign English" (PSE), which combines elements of both.
- Asperger Syndrome.
- This is one of the more mild disorders that is found on the autism spectrum. In people with Asperger's Syndrome, deficits in social interaction and unusual responses to the environment, similar to those in autism, are observed. Unlike in more classic autism, however, cognitive and communicative development is within the normal or near-normal range, and verbal skills are usually an area of relative strength. Idiosyncratic interests can be common and may take the form of unusual interests (e.g., in train schedules, snakes, the weather, deep-fry cookers, or telegraph pole insulators, etc.). This condition also can overlap, in part, with some forms of learning disability, as there are clear types of processing problems. Terminology and diagnosis in this area continues to be complicated and confusing for all concerned.
- Assessment.
- The process of testing/observing a child in order to understand his/her unique characteristics (personality, learning style, abilities, etc.) to help make decisions about the type of educational programming or supports needed by the child.
- At Risk.
- A term used to describe children who have, or could have, problems with development that may affect later learning.
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