Glossary of Terminology

Accommodations
- Changes that help students with learning challenges do schoolwork more easily (like extra time on tests or using a calculator).
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
- A law that protects people with disabilities from discrimination and ensures equal access to school, work, transportation, and more.
Aphasia
- A condition where someone has trouble speaking, understanding, reading, or writing—usually caused by brain injury.
Asperger Syndrome
- A type of autism where kids may have strong language skills but struggle with social interaction and show repetitive behaviors.
Assistive Technology
- Tools that help students with disabilities learn better—like speech-to-text apps or screen readers.
ADD / ADHD
- Disorders that affect attention, focus, and self-control. Some kids may also be hyperactive or impulsive.
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
- A condition where the brain has trouble understanding sounds, even if hearing is normal.
Autism
- A developmental disorder affecting communication, behavior, and social skills. Symptoms show up before age 3.

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B

Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
- A plan that helps manage behavior at school using positive supports and clear strategies.

Child Development
- How children grow and learn from birth through adolescence.
Collaboration
- When special education and general teachers work together to help a student succeed in class.
Cognitive Development
- How a child learns to think, reason, and understand the world.
Conduct Disorder
- A condition where a child repeatedly breaks rules or hurts others.
Comprehension
- Understanding what you read, hear, or see.
Comprehension Strategies
- Ways to help students understand what they read (like summarizing or predicting).

Decoding
- Sounding out words to read them.
Developmental Disability
- A long-term condition (like Down syndrome) that starts before age 18 and affects daily life skills.
Direct Instruction
- A step-by-step teaching method using modeling and practice.
Dyscalculia
- Trouble with math skills.
Dysgraphia
- Trouble with handwriting.
Dyslexia
- Trouble with reading and spelling.
Dyspraxia
- Difficulty with movement or coordination, especially with small tasks like buttoning a shirt.

FSIQ (Full Scale Intelligence Quotient)
- A score that shows how well someone solves problems compared to others their age.

Grapheme
- A letter or group of letters that represent one sound (like “ph” in “phone”).

H
• Hyperactivity
Very high energy, often paired with trouble sitting still or focusing.
I

IEP (Individualized Education Program)
- A legal plan that outlines special education services for a student with a disability.
In-class Support
- Extra help for students with learning challenges, usually in the regular classroom.
Inclusion
- Students with disabilities learn in regular classrooms with supports.
Intellectual Disability
- A condition with below-average intelligence and challenges with daily life skills.
I&RS Process
- Trying classroom strategies before formally evaluating a student for special education.

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L

Learning Disability (LD)
- A condition that makes reading, writing, math, or other learning skills harder.
Learning Style
- The way a person learns best—by seeing, hearing, or doing.

Motor Skills
- Movements that use muscles—like writing (fine motor) or walking (gross motor).
Multisensory Learning
- Learning that uses sight, sound, and touch together.

Neuropsychological Exam
- A test to check how the brain is working, often used to understand learning issues.

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O

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
- A condition where a child often argues, disobeys rules, and challenges authority.

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P

PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorders)
- A group of developmental conditions that affect communication and behavior, including autism.
Phonics
- Teaching children to match letters with sounds to read words.

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R

Reading Disabilities
- Another name for dyslexia—difficulty with reading skills.
Ritalin
- A medication used to treat ADHD.

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S

Section 504
- A law that ensures students with disabilities get the accommodations they need to succeed in school.
Self-Advocacy
- When students learn to speak up for themselves and explain what supports they need.
Sensory Integration Disorder
- Trouble processing information from the senses (like sound, touch, or movement).
Social Skills
- How people interact and communicate with others.
Special Education
- Programs and services for students who need extra support to learn due to a disability.

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T

Transition
- The change from school to adult life, including college, jobs, or independent living.
Tourette’s Syndrome
- A condition where a person makes unwanted movements or sounds (called tics).
Traumatic Brain Injury
- Damage to the brain from birth or an accident that may affect how a child learns or behaves.