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A.A.M.R.
American Association on Mental Retardation. The nations oldest and most respected professional society concerned with mental retardation.
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A.B.S.
Adaptive Behavior Scale. The A.B.S. is one of the best-researched and tested psychological measurement tools for evaluating adaptive behavior (daily functioning).
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A.D.A.
The federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
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ABCs
Antecedent Behavior Consequence
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ABI
Acquired Brain Injury
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| 6. |
ABS
Adaptive Behavior Scale
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Abstract Thinking
Ability to apply abstract concepts to new situations and surroundings.
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ADL
Activities of Daily Living. Routine activities carried-out for personal hygiene and health (including bathing, dressing, feeding) and for operating a household.
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Advocacy
Parents (or families), organizations or volunteers working on behalf of the rights and interests of others (such as people with disabilities).
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Affect
The observable emotional condition of an individual at any given time.
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Affective Disorders
Mental illnesses characterized mainly by abnormalities in mood. The two principal categories are mania and depression.
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Agnosia
Failure to recognize familiar objects although the sensory mechanism is intact. May occur for any sensory modality (sight, hearing, taste, etc).
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Agraphia
Inability to express thoughts in writing.
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AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
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Alexia
Inability to read.
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Alzheimer's Disease
A disease which causes degeneration of blood vessels of the brain, causing mental degeneration.
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Amnesia
Lack of memory about events occurring during a particular period of time.
See:
Anterograde Amnesia
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Anomia
Inability to recall names of objects. Persons with this problem often can speech fluently but have to use other words to describe familiar objects.
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Anosmia
Loss of the sense of smell.
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Anoxia
A lack of oxygen. Cells of the brain need oxygen to stay alive. When blood flow to the brain is reduced or when oxygen in the blood is too low, brain cells are damaged.
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Antecedent
A stimulus or event which elicits a behavior in the "Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence" sequence.
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Anterograde Amnesia
Inability to consolidate information about ongoing events. Difficult with new learning.
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Aphasia
Loss of the ability to express oneself and/or to understand language. Caused by damage to brain cells rather than deficits in speech or hearing organs.
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Aphemia
The isolated loss of the ability to articulate words without loss of the ability to write or comprehend spoken language.
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Apraxia
Inability to carry out a complete or skilled movement not due to paralysis, sensory changes, or deficiencies in understanding.
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Aspiration
When fluid or food enters the lungs through the windpipe. Can cause a lung infection or pneumonia.
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Associated Reaction
A non-purposeful movement that accompanies another movement (e.g., the arm may bend involuntarily when a person yawns).
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Astereognosia
Inability to recognize things by touch.
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Ataxia
Problem of muscle coordination not due to apraxia, weakness, rigidity, spasticity or sensory loss. Caused by a lesion of the cerebellum or basal ganglia. Can interfere with a person's ability to walk, talk, eat, or to perform other self care tasks.
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Attention, Alternating
The ability to move attention appropriately from one area to another. It requires directional control, as well as capacity.
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Attention/
Concentration
The ability to focus on a given task or set of stimuli for an appropriate period of time.
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Attention/
Concentration, Arousal
The ability to respond consistently to sensory stimulation by eye opening, localizing, and tracking with head or eye movement. To assess level of arousal one might determine if the person brushes away pinching fingers; or, if the eyes or head turns to a variety of sensory stimuli.
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Attention/
Concentration, Distractibility
Refers to the inability to sustain attention because of competing internal or external stimuli. Typically, the individual has decreased ability to inhibit competing responses. For example, a person who is restrained may focus more on his arm restraint than on a task presented by a therapist; a person asked to complete arithmetic problems may focus more on construction work taking place outside.
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Audiologist
The audiologist assesses the hearing ability of an individual and makes recommendations regarding possible use of a hearing aid. He or she may also provide consultation to other professionals, particularly physicians, regarding possible etiology of hearing impairments. A qualified audiologist has a master's degree and is certified by the American Speech/Language/Hearing Association.
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Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Use of forms of communication other than speaking, such as: sign language, "yes, no" signals, gestures, picture board, and computerized speech systems to compensate (either temporarily or permanently) for severe expressive communication disorders.
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Automatic Speech
Words said without much thinking on the part of the speaker. These may include songs, numbers, and social communications; or, can be items previously learned through memorization. Spontaneous swearing by individual who did not do so before their injury is another example.
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