Term Definition

Hearing impairments

hearing impaired A person who has at least some degree of hearing loss

mild hearing loss Due to a minor degree of hearing loss, a childs vocabulary will not
be as large as that of his/her peers who have normal hearing

profound hearing A large amount of hearing loss with little understandable speech
loss

Vision impairments

amblyopia This disorder is the result of a muscle imbalance caused by disuse

of the eye; also called lazy eye.

glaucoma A condition caused by failure of the eye fluid to circulate in the

proper way. Over time the pressure destroys the optic nerve.

nearsightedness Inability to see things that are far away

(myopia)

farsightedness Inability to see things that are close

(hyperopia)

color deficiency A hereditary problem or inability to see a color, ususally one or

(color blindness) more primary colors

tactile The sense of touch

olfactory The sense of smell

auditory The sense of sound

Physical and motor impairments

ambulatory Able to move from place to place

amputation Removal of one of a persons appendages---e.g., leg or arm

augmentative A device used to help a child with cerebral palsy communicate; has
communication pictures for the child to point to.
device

mild disabilities Small or minor impairments that cause children to need more time
to move about or do tasks

moderate Medium-level impairments that mean a child can do some things

disabilities for himself/herself, but still needs adaptations

severe disability Serious disability that prevents a child from moving independently

prosthesis An artificial arm or leg

spina bifida A congenital condition in which part of the spinal cord protrudes
through the spinal column, causing loss of voluntary movement in
lower body

Giftedness

acceleration A gifted child is assigned to a class with older children

giftedness A child with exceptional skills and IQ in one or more of six specific
areas of intelligence

Cognitive impairments

attention deficit A child who has trouble staying on task and is easily distracted
disorder (ADD)

learning disability A child who has a problem with one or more basic skills of learning
articulation Omissions, distortions, or substitutions of vowels/consonantsboth
problems

lazy tongue An articulation problem caused by inability of the tongue to form

sounds as intended

baby talk Use of incorrect words intended to play with children; not an
appropriate model for children to emulate

breathy voice A voice that sounds like a whisper and is weak and not clearly
phonated

expansion A technique used to expand childrens mispronounced words into

complete sentences

harsh voice A voice that is louder than normal

loudness The amount of energy or volume used when speaking

nasality Sounds passing through the nasal cavities instead of the throat

phonation The passing of sounds across the vocal cords

pitch The lowness or highness of the voice

voice flexibility A good speaking voice during routine conversation uses a variety of
pitches and loudness levels

voice-quality Harshness, hoarseness,breathiness, and nasality

disorders

Behavioral and emotional disorders

attention deficit An overactive, restless, and impulsive child who often becomes
hyper- activity hostile and fails to observe classroom limits
disorder (ADHD)

autism A condition in which children are unable to interact socially with

others
Accommodating special needs

Inclusion/mainstre Placing special needs children in regular classrooms to allow them

aming to learn in the least restrictive environment

Individuals with Requires all states to provide education for children who are
Disabilities developmentally delayed; all children ages three to five who have
Education Act disabilities and require special educational services must have an
(IDEA) individual education program

Individualized A plan for a childs disability containing assessment information,

Education Plan goals, objectives, statement of involvement, services, and
(IEP) evaluation criteria; developed jointly by the childs teacher, parents
or guardians, and an expert on the childs disability

Health conditions

allergens The offending substance in the environment to which a person is

allergic

arthritis A condition brought on by inflammation that produces swelling of

the joints and surrounding tissues

asthma A chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways

chronic health An illness that persists over a period of time

need

contactants Things that make contact with the body by touch

cystic fibrosis A hereditary disease that occurs almost from birth; involves
persistent and serious lung infections; failure to gain weight; and
loose, foul-smelling stools

desensitized Injections of allergens in small amounts given by a doctor into the

body over a period of time to reduce sensitivity to allergies
diabetes Insulin is not produced by the pancreas to burn or store foods as
energy, causing the bodys sugar content to increase

epilepsy A convulsive disorder caused by damage to the brain

grand mal seizure A seizure during which a child loses consciousness, jerks, thrashes,
or becomes stiff

hemophilia A genetic blood disease in which the blood cannot clot normally

ingestants Foods, drugs, or anything taken by mouth

inhalants Airborne substances that are inhaled

injectables Chemicals or drugs injected into the body

insulin reaction An imbalance between physical activity, insulin, and diet of a person
with diabetes

petit mal seizure A seizure during which a child is unconscious for a very short period
of time

rheumatoid The most common form of juvenile arthritis

arthritis