Neuropsychology and Educational Glossary of Terms | Pediatric Neuropsychology Associates

# (1 term) +

504 Plan: A plan developed under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act that provides accommodations and supports to students with disabilities who do not require special education services but need assistance to access the general education curriculum.

A (14 terms) +

Accommodations: Changes in how a student accesses learning without changing what they are expected to learn or achieve.
Adaptive Behavior: Everyday skills used to live independently and interact with others, like communicating, dressing, and managing personal care.
Adaptive Functioning: The practical skills needed for everyday life, including social skills, communication, and self-care.
Anxiety: A strong feeling of worry, fear, or nervousness that can affect a child's thoughts, emotions, and behavior. While it's normal for all children to feel anxious at times (like before a test or a new experience), anxiety becomes a concern when it happens too often, is too intense, or interferes with daily life. Children with anxiety may avoid certain places or activities, complain of stomachaches or headaches, have trouble sleeping, or seem overly worried. There are different types of anxiety, such as separation anxiety, social anxiety, and generalized anxiety.
Aphasia: A language disorder that makes it hard to speak, understand, read, or write. It happens when parts of the brain involved in language are damaged, often due to a brain injury, stroke, or certain neurological conditions.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA): A structured, evidence-based approach to understanding and supporting behavior by examining how behavior is learned and how it is influenced by the environment. ABA focuses on identifying the factors that increase or decrease specific behaviors and using this information to teach new skills and reduce behaviors that interfere with learning, communication, or daily functioning. ABA is commonly used to support the development of communication, social interaction, play, academic readiness, and daily living skills. Interventions are individualized and goals are typically broken down into small, manageable steps that can be taught and practiced over time. Strategies such as positive reinforcement (providing meaningful rewards or feedback following desired behaviors), modeling, and repeated practice are used to help children learn and generalize skills across settings.
Ataxia: Problems with balance and coordination that make movements clumsy or unsteady.
Attachment: The emotional bond a child forms with caregivers, important for feeling safe and developing relationships.
Attention: The ability to focus on specific information or tasks while ignoring distractions.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A neurodevelopmental condition that affects a child's ability to sustain attention, regulate activity level, and manage impulses. ADHD can look different from child to child. Some children primarily show inattentive features, such as difficulty staying focused, following through on tasks, organizing materials, remembering instructions, or appearing daydreamy or mentally "elsewhere." Others show hyperactive-impulsive features, such as excessive movement, restlessness, talking frequently, interrupting others, or acting before thinking. Many children experience a combination of inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms. ADHD begins in childhood and can affect multiple areas of daily functioning, including school performance, social relationships, emotional regulation, and independence. Children with ADHD may struggle to keep up with classroom demands, manage time and materials, or regulate behavior across different settings. Symptoms often vary depending on the environment, expectations, and level of structure, and may look different at home than at school. While it is normal for all children to be active, distractible, or impulsive at times, ADHD becomes a concern when these patterns are persistent, developmentally inappropriate, and interfere with everyday functioning across settings. ADHD frequently co-occurs with other learning, emotional, or developmental differences, such as learning disorders, anxiety, or difficulties with executive functioning.
Auditory Discrimination: The ability to notice differences in sounds, important for learning language and reading.
Auditory Memory: The ability to remember information that is heard, like instructions or stories.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): Tools or methods used to help children communicate when speaking is difficult, like picture boards or speech devices.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction, repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests. Because it is a spectrum, the characteristics and support needs of children with ASD can vary greatly. Some children may have limited or no spoken language and require substantial support, while others may have strong verbal skills but struggle with understanding social cues, forming relationships, or adjusting to changes in routine. Common features of autism may include differences in social interaction, challenges with receptive language (such as understanding instructions or questions) and expressive language (such as using words or other forms of communication to express needs), repetitive behaviors (such as hand-flapping or rocking), restricted or rigid routines and interests (such as a strong preference for sameness or very focused interests in specific topics), and differences in sensory processing. Sensory differences may involve heightened or reduced sensitivity to input such as loud noises, certain textures, or bright lights. It is important to note that autism presents differently in each individual, and not all children will show all of these features. Language abilities, cognitive skills, and support needs can vary widely across individuals on the autism spectrum.

B (9 terms) +

Baseline: The first measurement or observation of a behavior or skill, used to compare progress over time.
Behavioral Assessment: An evaluation focused on understanding a child's behaviors, what triggers them, and what happens afterward, to help guide support and interventions.
Behavioral Inhibition: A temperament trait where a child shows cautious, shy, or restrained behavior in new situations or with unfamiliar people.
Behavioral Therapy: A type of therapy that focuses on identifying patterns of behavior and using evidence-based techniques to encourage helpful behaviors and reduce behaviors that interfere with learning or daily functioning.
Behavior Plan: A written plan that outlines specific strategies to encourage good behavior and reduce problem behaviors in a child.
Bipolar Disorder: A mood condition where a child experiences extreme mood changes, including very high energy or excitement (mania/hypomania) and deep sadness or low mood (depression).
Brain Injury: Damage to the brain that can affect thinking, behavior, and physical abilities, which may be caused by accidents, illness, or other events.
Brain Plasticity: The brain's ability to change and adapt, especially during childhood, by forming new connections in response to learning or injury.
Brief Intervention: A short, focused therapeutic strategy to address a specific problem or behavior.

C (14 terms) +

Classroom Accommodations: Special adjustments or supports provided by the school to help a child access learning more easily. These might include things like extra time on tests, using assistive technology, having instructions repeated or simplified, a quiet place to work, or seating near the teacher to reduce distractions. Accommodations are designed to help children succeed without changing what they are expected to learn.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): A type of talk therapy that helps children recognize how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected. It teaches them skills to change negative or unhelpful thinking patterns and develop healthier ways to cope with stress, anxiety, anger, or other challenges. CBT often involves practicing new ways of thinking and problem-solving to improve emotional well-being and behavior.
Cognitive-Behavioral Strategies: Structured approaches that focus on understanding the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. These strategies help individuals develop practical skills for managing stress, emotions, attention, and problem-solving.
Cognitive Flexibility: The ability to switch thinking between different concepts or adapt behavior to changing rules or environments.
Cognitive Load: The amount of mental effort a child uses to process information, learn new material, or complete a task. Tasks that involve multiple steps, complex instructions, fast pacing, or holding several pieces of information in mind—such as following directions, solving word problems, or completing lengthy assignments—can increase cognitive load. Distractions, fatigue, anxiety, unfamiliar material, or learning differences may further add to this demand. When cognitive load becomes too high, a child may appear inattentive, overwhelmed, slower to respond, or more prone to errors, not because of a lack of ability, but because the task exceeds available mental resources. Reducing cognitive load by breaking tasks into smaller steps, simplifying instructions, providing visual supports, or allowing extra time can help children better demonstrate their skills and understanding.
Communication Disorder: Difficulty with understanding or using language to talk, listen, read, or write.
Comorbidity: When a child has two or more disorders or conditions at the same time.
Concussion: A brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that can affect brain function, most often temporarily. Common symptoms may include headache, confusion, difficulty concentrating or remembering, dizziness, sensitivity to light or noise, balance problems, fatigue, or changes in mood or behavior. In most cases, symptoms improve over time with appropriate rest, gradual return to activity, and medical guidance; however, recovery timelines can differ from person to person. Monitoring symptoms and following professional recommendations is important to support safe recovery and reduce the risk of prolonged effects.
Conditioning: A way children learn by connecting their actions with rewards or consequences. When a behavior is followed by something good, they're more likely to do it again, and when it's followed by something unpleasant, they're less likely to repeat it.
Confabulation: When a child unintentionally makes up stories or answers to fill in memory gaps.
Continuous Performance Test (CPT): A test that measures a child's attention and ability to stay focused over time.
Coping Skills: Strategies a child uses to handle stress, frustration, or difficult emotions.
CPT (Billing) Codes: Standardized numeric codes used to describe healthcare services and procedures for billing and insurance purposes. CPT codes help insurance companies identify the type of service provided.
Cross-Modal Integration: The brain's ability to combine information from different senses, like sight and sound.

D (10 terms) +

Depression: A mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, low mood, hopelessness, or loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyable. While it is normal for children and adolescents to feel sad or discouraged at times, depression becomes a concern when these feelings are more intense, occur most days, last for weeks or longer, and interfere with daily life. In children, depression may not always appear as sadness alone and can also show up as irritability, withdrawal, low energy, changes in sleep or appetite, difficulty concentrating, declining school performance, or loss of motivation. Some children may express emotional distress through physical complaints such as headaches or stomachaches, while others may seem more tearful, quiet, or emotionally flat.
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD): A neurodevelopmental condition marked by ongoing difficulties to learn and perform coordinated motor skills. Children with DCD may struggle with tasks such as handwriting, using utensils or scissors, catching or throwing a ball, maintaining balance, or completing daily self-care activities. These challenges can interfere with school performance, independence, and participation in play or sports.
Developmental Delay: When a child does not meet developmental milestones at expected ages in areas like speech or motor skills.
Dexterity: Skill and coordination, especially in using hands and fingers for tasks like writing or buttoning clothes.
Disinhibition: Difficulty controlling impulses or behaviors, often leading to acting without thinking.
Dyscalculia: A learning difficulty that affects a child's ability to understand numbers and math concepts.
Dysgraphia: A learning difference that affects written expression, including difficulties with handwriting, spelling, grammar, and organizing or expressing ideas in writing. Children with dysgraphia often know what they want to say but struggle to efficiently translate their thoughts into written form. Writing may be slow, effortful, or messy, and written work may not reflect the child's true understanding or verbal abilities.
Dyslexia: A learning difference that primarily affects reading and spelling skills, and in some cases written expression. Children with dyslexia often have difficulty recognizing and decoding words, understanding how letters and letter combinations represent sounds, and reading accurately or fluently.
Dysnomia: Difficulty recalling words or names.
Dyspraxia: Difficulty with planning and coordinating movements.

E (15 terms) +

Early Intervention: Services and supports provided to children from birth to age 3 to address early development delays or concerns.
Echolalia: Repeating words or phrases often heard from others, usually without understanding or meaning.
Educational Evaluation: An assessment focused on understanding a child's academic skills, strengths, and educational needs to help plan supports or services.
Emergent Literacy: The early skills, knowledge, and experiences that support reading and writing development before formal instruction begins. Emergent literacy includes abilities such as recognizing letters and sounds, understanding that print carries meaning, enjoying books, pretending to read or write, and developing early vocabulary and storytelling skills. These skills develop through everyday interactions, play, and shared reading experiences and form the foundation for later reading and writing success.
Emotional Regulation: The ability to recognize, manage, and respond to frustrating situations in an adaptive and appropriate way.
Enuresis: Medical term for bedwetting beyond the typical age.
Environmental Modifications: Changes made to a child's surroundings (like classroom setup or home routines) to help them behave in an adaptive and appropriate way.
Episodic Memory: The ability to remember specific events or experiences from one's own life.
Evidence-Based Practice: Approaches and treatments that have been scientifically tested and shown to be effective.
Executive Dysfunction: Difficulty with executive functioning skills such as planning, organization, problem-solving, or self-control.
Executive Functioning: A set of important skills, such as planning, organizing, controlling impulses, and multi-tasking, among others, that are necessary for goal-oriented behaviors.
Expressive Language: The ability to use words, sentences, gestures, or writing to communicate thoughts and needs.
Expressive Vocabulary: The words a child uses when speaking or writing to communicate.
Externalizing Behaviors: Behaviors that are outwardly directed, like aggression, tantrums, or hyperactivity.
Eye Contact: Looking toward another person's eyes or face during communication, which can support social connection, attention, and understanding in many social contexts. Eye contact often helps signal interest, engagement, and shared attention.

F (11 terms) +

Facial Recognition: The ability to recognize and remember faces, which helps with social interactions.
Fidgeting: Small, often repetitive movements such as tapping fingers, bouncing legs, shifting in a seat, or playing with objects. Children may fidget when they feel restless, anxious, bored, or overstimulated, but fidgeting can also be a self-regulation strategy that helps some children maintain attention, manage sensory input, or stay engaged during tasks.
Fine Motor Skills: Small muscle movements, like using fingers and hands to write, button clothes, or hold utensils.
Fluctuating Attention: When a child's ability to focus goes up and down throughout the day or during tasks.
Fluency: How smoothly and easily a child can read, speak, or perform a task.
Focus: The ability to pay attention to something without getting distracted.
Frustration Tolerance: How well a child can handle feeling upset or challenged without getting overwhelmed, upset, or giving up.
Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA): A step-by-step process used to find out why a child is behaving in a challenging way by looking at what happens before, during, and after the behavior. Understanding these reasons helps families, teachers, and therapists create better plans to support the child, teach new skills, and reduce difficult behaviors. It focuses on what the child is trying to communicate or get from their behavior, rather than just trying to stop it.
Functional Communication: Using words, gestures, or other ways to express needs and ideas in everyday situations.
Functional Independence: A child's ability to do everyday activities—like dressing, eating, or toileting—on their own without needing help.
Functional Skills: Everyday abilities needed to live and learn independently, like communication, self-care, and social interaction.

G (8 terms) +

Gaze: Where and how a child looks at things or people. Gaze patterns can give important clues about attention, social interaction, and development.
Generalization: When a child is able to use a skill they learned in one setting (like therapy) in other settings (like home or school).
Gestalt Processing: A way of understanding information by seeing the "big picture" or whole, rather than focusing only on small details.
Giftedness: Advanced abilities in one or more areas—such as intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership, or other domain-specific skills—that develop ahead of what is typical for a child's age. Gifted children may learn quickly and show strong talents in one or more areas. Giftedness can appear in one or multiple domains and does not mean that all areas of development progress at the same pace.
Good Faith Estimates (GFEs): A written estimate of the expected costs of healthcare services provided to individuals who are uninsured or not using insurance. Good Faith Estimates are intended to promote cost transparency and help families understand potential financial responsibility in advance.
Global Developmental Delay: When a young child (usually under age 5) shows significant delays in several areas of development, such as thinking, movement, speech, and social skills.
Gross Motor Skills: The abilities involved in large movements like crawling, walking, jumping, and running.
Guided Practice: When a child learns a new skill with support and direction from a teacher, therapist, or parent before trying it independently.

H (19 terms) +

Habit Reversal Training (HRT): A behavioral therapy that helps children become more aware of unwanted habits or tics—such as hair pulling, nail biting, skin picking, or vocal tics—and teaches them strategies to replace these behaviors with more appropriate or less harmful alternatives.
Hallucination: When a child sees, hears, or feels things that aren't really there.
Hand Dominance: The preference for using one hand more than the other to do everyday tasks like writing, eating, or drawing.
HIPAA-Compliant: Describes systems, practices, and procedures that meet the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a federal law that protects the privacy and security of health information. HIPAA-compliant practices are designed to safeguard personal health information.
Health Impairment (Other Health Impairment – OHI): A special education category for children who have a health-related condition—such as epilepsy, diabetes, or sometimes ADHD—that affects their ability to learn or participate fully in school. This classification can help children receive additional support and services through an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Hearing Loss / Hearing Impairment: Any difficulty hearing, whether mild or severe.
Hemiparesis: Weakness on one side of the body, often due to a brain injury or condition such as cerebral palsy or stroke.
Home–School Communication Plan: A structured way for families and schools to share information about a child's behavior, progress, or needs. It can be part of an IEP, 504 plan, or behavioral intervention.
Homebound Instruction: Educational services provided at home when a child is unable to attend school for medical or mental health reasons. Usually short-term and coordinated through the school district.
Hyperactivity: Excessive movement or restlessness beyond what's typical for a child's age. This can include behaviors like constant fidgeting, talking a lot, interrupting, or having trouble waiting their turn.
Hyperarousal: A state of under-responsiveness where a child may appear withdrawn, quiet, or disengaged.
Hyperfocus: An intense and sustained concentration on a single task or topic that can make it hard to notice or respond to other things around. While hyperfocus can be a helpful strength—especially when working on something the child enjoys—it may also make it difficult for the child to switch tasks or pay attention to other important activities.
Hyperlexia: A pattern in which a young child demonstrates an unusually early ability to recognize and read words, often before receiving formal reading instruction. Children with hyperlexia may read aloud accurately or fluently at a very young age, sometimes showing a strong interest in letters, numbers, or written words. However, this advanced word-reading skill is often accompanied by challenges with reading comprehension, understanding spoken language, or using language flexibly in everyday social interactions.
Hypersensitivity (Sensory Sensitivity): Strong reactions to things like loud noises, bright lights, smells, or certain textures. A child may become upset or overwhelmed in certain environments.
Hypersomnia: Sleeping much more than expected for a child's age, or excessive daytime sleepiness.
Hypervigilance: A constant state of alertness or being "on edge," even in safe settings. Children may seem jumpy or overly aware of their surroundings.
Hypoactivity: Lower-than-typical energy levels. A child may appear quiet, slow-moving, or hard to engage.
Hypotonia: Low muscle tone that can make a child appear floppy or less coordinated. It may affect how they move, sit, or hold objects.
Hypoxia: A condition where the brain doesn't get enough oxygen, which can happen before or after birth, or after an injury. This can affect brain development and how a child learns, behaves, and regulates their emotions.

I (16 terms) +

Imitation: Copying the behavior, speech, or actions of others, an important skill in learning and social development.
Impairment: A reduction or difficulty in functioning that can affect a person's ability to carry out everyday activities.
Impulse Control: The ability to pause and think before acting, allowing a person to resist urges, avoid inappropriate behaviors, and make thoughtful decisions.
Inattention: A difficulty in sustaining focus and concentration on tasks or activities over time. It often leads to frequent distractions, careless mistakes, trouble following instructions, and incomplete work.
Inclusive Education: An approach that aims to educate all children, regardless of ability or disability, in regular classrooms with appropriate supports.
Individual Differences: Variations in abilities, learning styles, and needs among children that affect how they learn and respond to support.
Individualized Education Program (IEP): A legally binding document that outlines special education services and supports tailored to a student with disabilities.
Information Processing: How the brain receives, interprets, stores, and retrieves information.
Informed Consent: A process in which the provider explains the purpose, procedures, risks, benefits, and alternatives of an evaluation or service so that parents, legal guardians, and/or adolescents can make an informed decision about participation.
Inhibitory Control: A core executive function that allows a person to pause, filter out distractions, and stop impulsive behaviors.
Instructional Strategies: Methods or techniques used by educators to help students learn more effectively.
Intellectual Disability: A condition marked by significant limitations in intellectual functioning and everyday living skills.
Intellectual Functioning: The overall mental ability to reason, apply knowledge, solve problems, think abstractly, process information, understand complex ideas, and learn from experience.
Interpersonal Skills: The abilities that support effective interaction and relationship-building with others, including communication, social awareness, empathy, perspective-taking, and cooperation. Interpersonal skills help a child understand social cues, respond appropriately to others' thoughts and emotions, and navigate social situations at home, school, and in the community.
Intervention: Strategies or treatments designed to improve skills, functioning, or reduce symptoms.
IQ (Intelligence Quotient): A standardized score that reflects a person's intellectual abilities compared to same age peers.

J (1 term) +

Joint Attention: The ability to share focus with another person on an object, activity, or event, such as looking at a toy together or following another person's gaze or point. Joint attention supports early learning, language development, and social communication because it allows children to notice, share, and respond to experiences with others.

K (1 term) +

Kinesthetic Learner: A person who learns best through physical activity, hands-on experiences, and movement.

L (16 terms) +

Latency: The amount of time it takes for a child to respond after something happens or after they are asked to do something. For example, latency refers to how long it takes a child to answer a question, follow a direction, or react to what they see or hear. A longer response time does not necessarily mean a child does not understand; it can reflect that they need more time to process information, shift attention, or organize a response.
Latency Period: The amount of time it takes for a child to respond after something happens or after they are asked to do something, often measured during assessments to understand processing speed/speed of processing.
Lateralization: The tendency for some cognitive functions to be more dominant in one hemisphere of the brain than the other (e.g., language is usually left-brain dominant).
Learned Helplessness: When a child stops trying because they believe their efforts won't help. This can happen after repeated failure, struggles in school, or anxiety.
Learner Profile: An overview of a child's strengths, challenges, and preferred ways of learning to help tailor teaching.
Learning Curve: The rate at which a person acquires new skills or new knowledge over time.
Learning Disability: A neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent difficulties in learning and using academic skills, such as reading, written expression, or mathematics, that are substantially below what is expected for a person's age and educational opportunities. These difficulties are due to differences in how the brain processes information and are not explained by intellectual disability, lack of instruction, or sensory impairments.
Learning Disorder: A specific type of learning disability that significantly interferes with academic achievement.
Learning Style: The preferred way an individual processes information, such as visually, auditorily, or kinesthetically, which can influence how they learn best.
Lexical Access: The brain's process of retrieving words and their meanings from memory during speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Efficient lexical access allows a person to quickly recognize, understand, and use words. When lexical access is slower or less efficient, a child may have difficulty finding the right word, understanding spoken language quickly, or expressing ideas fluently, even when they know the word.
Life Skills: Practical skills needed for daily living, such as managing money, personal hygiene, and social interactions.
Linguistic Processing: How the brain interprets and understands language, including grammar, vocabulary, and meaning.
Literal Thinking: Understanding language or information exactly as it is said, often missing implied or figurative meanings.
Localization: The process of identifying specific areas of the brain responsible for particular functions.
Locus of Control: How much a person believes they have control over what happens in their life—either by their own actions (internal) or by outside forces (external).
Long-Term Memory: The brain's ability to store and recall information over long periods.

M (13 terms) +

Maintenance: The continued use or performance of a learned skill over time, even after direct teaching or intervention has ended. Maintenance ensures skills remain functional in everyday settings.
Masking: When someone hides or suppresses their natural behaviors, feelings, or responses to fit in socially or avoid negative attention.
Medication Management: Monitoring and adjusting medications prescribed.
Metacognition: The ability to think about and understand one's own thinking processes. Metacognition involves being aware of how you learn, remember, and solve problems, as well as monitoring how well a strategy is working and adjusting it when needed. For example, metacognition helps a child recognize when they do not understand something, decide to reread instructions, ask for help, or try a different approach. Strong metacognitive skills support independent learning, self-reflection, and effective problem-solving, while difficulties with metacognition may make it harder for a child to plan, monitor progress, or learn from mistakes.
Milestone: A developmental skill or ability that typically emerges by a certain age, such as walking or speaking first words. Milestones help track typical child development and may signal when support is needed.
Mindfulness: A practice that involves intentionally paying attention to the present moment—such as thoughts, feelings, body sensations, or surroundings—with openness and without judgment. Mindfulness helps individuals notice what they are experiencing rather than reacting automatically, which can support emotional regulation, attention, and stress management. It is often used in therapy, school, and everyday life to promote calm, increase self-awareness, and help children and adults respond more thoughtfully to challenges.
Modeling: A teaching technique in which a skill or behavior is demonstrated for another person to observe and imitate. By watching someone else perform a behavior, individuals—especially children—can learn through observation before practicing it themselves.
Mood Disorders: A group of mental health conditions characterized by persistent disturbances in mood that affect how a person feels, thinks, and functions in daily life.
Motor Planning (Praxis): The ability to plan and execute coordinated movements.
Multidisciplinary Team: A group of professionals from different fields—such as psychology, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and education—who work collaboratively to assess and support an individual's needs.
Multimodal Learning: Using multiple modes (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) to teach concepts.
Multisensory Learning: An instructional approach that engages multiple senses—such as sight, sound, touch, and movement—to enhance learning and memory.
Mutism (Selective Mutism): An anxiety-based condition where an individual, typically a child, is able to speak in some settings (like home) but consistently does not speak in others (like school), despite having the ability to speak.

N (9 terms) +

Narrative Skills: The ability to tell or retell stories, describe events, and explain ideas in a clear, organized, and meaningful way.
Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Neurodevelopmental disorders are a group of conditions that begin in early childhood and affect how the brain develops and functions. These conditions can impact a person's ability to learn, communicate, interact with others, manage emotions, and carry out everyday activities.
Neurodiversity: A concept that recognizes and values the natural variation in how human brains develop and function. This concept highlights the natural variation in how brains function, emphasizing strengths and differences rather than deficits. This perspective highlights both strengths and challenges and encourages understanding and support tailored to individual needs.
Neurological Soft Signs: Minor neurological abnormalities that may indicate developmental delays or brain dysfunction.
Neuroplasticity: Neuroplasticity is the brain's natural ability to change, grow, and adapt over time. This means the brain can form new connections between brain cells (neurons) in response to learning, experiences, practice, or even after injury.
Neuropsychological Evaluation: A comprehensive assessment that uses a variety of standardized tests and observations to understand how a person's brain is working across areas like attention, memory, language, problem-solving, and emotional functioning. The goal is to see how the brain affects learning, behavior, and daily life. This type of evaluation helps identify a person's strengths and challenges, clarify diagnoses (such as ADHD, learning differences, or emotional concerns), and provide personalized recommendations for support at home, in school, or through therapy. It is especially useful when a child is struggling in multiple areas and there's a need to better understand the "why" behind their difficulties.
Noncompliance: A behavioral term referring to refusal or failure to follow instructions or rules.
Norm-Referenced Assessment: A test that compares a child's performance to a large group of peers to see how they are doing compared to their peers.
Normative Data: Information gathered from a large, representative group that is used to establish an average or "norm." This helps professionals compare a child's performance on a test to what is typical for others of the same age or grade level. It's a key part of understanding whether a child is developing skills as expected.

O (9 terms) +

Occupational Therapy: Therapy focusing on improving skills for fine motor and daily living abilities.
On-task Behavior: The ability to stay focused and engaged with a task or activity for a period of time without becoming distracted.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD): This behavioral condition is characterized by a consistent pattern of angry, defiant, and uncooperative behavior toward adults or authority figures. You may notice the child frequently arguing, losing their temper, refusing to follow rules, deliberately irritating others, or blaming others for their actions. These behaviors go beyond normal childhood defiance and can significantly impact family dynamics, school performance, and social relationships. A diagnosis of ODD is typically made when these behaviors occur regularly and persist for an extended period of time.
Oral Motor Skills: The movements of the mouth, lips, tongue, and jaw necessary for speech production and feeding.
Orientation: Awareness of time, place, and person.
Out-of-Network Provider: A healthcare provider who does not have a contract with a family's insurance plan. Families may still choose to work with an out-of-network provider and may be eligible for partial reimbursement, depending on their insurance benefits.
Outcome Measures: Tools or assessments used to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention or treatment over time.
Overgeneralization: A cognitive process where a child applies one rule or experience too broadly, such as assuming one failure means they will always fail.
Overstimulation: A state in which a child receives more sensory, emotional, or cognitive input than they can comfortably process at one time. Overstimulation may occur in busy, noisy, visually intense, or highly demanding environments and can lead to signs such as distress, irritability, agitation, withdrawal, or shutdown.

P (15 terms) +

Parent Training: Structured support or coaching provided to parents and caregivers to help them better understand their child's needs and learn strategies to support development, manage behaviors, and create a more positive home environment.
Pediatric Neuropsychologist: A licensed psychologist with specialized training in how brain development affects thinking, learning, behavior, and emotions in children and adolescents. Pediatric neuropsychologists evaluate cognitive, academic, emotional, and behavioral functioning and provide recommendations to support a child's development at home, at school, and in daily life.
Perseveration: The repetition of a word, phrase, or behavior even when it's no longer appropriate or relevant.
Personal Health Information (PHI): Any information related to an individual's physical or mental health, healthcare services, or payment for healthcare that can be used to identify that person. PHI includes medical records, evaluation reports, test results, and certain identifying details.
Phonological Awareness: The ability to recognize and manipulate the sounds of spoken language, such as rhyming, syllables, and individual sounds (phonemes). It is a foundational skill for learning to read and spell.
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS): A framework for promoting positive behavior in schools through proactive strategies.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A mental health condition that can develop after a person experiences or witnesses a traumatic event—such as abuse, violence, serious accidents, or natural disasters. Common symptoms include intrusive memories or flashbacks, emotional numbness, avoidance of reminders, heightened anxiety, irritability, or difficulty sleeping.
Pragmatic Language: The social use of language—how we use words in different situations, take turns in conversation, understand tone or sarcasm, and adjust communication depending on the audience. Challenges with pragmatic language are common in autism and other communication disorders.
Prior Authorization: Approval required by some insurance plans before certain services are provided. Prior authorization does not guarantee payment and is the responsibility of the family to confirm with their insurance company.
Processing Difficulties: Challenges with how the brain interprets and responds to information received through the senses—such as sounds (auditory), visuals (visual), or physical sensations (sensory).
Processing Speed: How quickly an individual can perceive, process, and respond to information.
Prompting: A teaching strategy that involves giving cues or assistance to help a child perform a desired behavior or task. Prompts can be verbal, visual, physical, or gestural, and are often used in skill-building and behavior support plans.
Psychiatric Evaluation: An assessment conducted by a psychiatrist to understand a person's mental health symptoms, provide a diagnosis, and determine whether psychiatric medication may be helpful. This evaluation typically includes a clinical interview, review of medical and psychiatric history, and may involve brief screening tools. Unlike psychological or neuropsychological evaluations, which use standardized testing to assess emotional, behavioral, and cognitive functioning in depth, a psychiatric evaluation is primarily focused on diagnosis and medication management within a medical framework.
Psychological Testing: The use of standardized tools to assess aspects of emotional and behavioral functioning. It is often used to help identify mental health conditions (such as anxiety, depression, or ADHD), support treatment planning, or clarify diagnoses. Unlike a neuropsychological evaluation, which provides an in-depth analysis of brain-based functioning (e.g., memory, attention, executive skills), psychological testing tends to be more focused, shorter in scope, and targeted toward emotional and behavioral concerns.
Psychopharmacology: The study and use of medications to manage psychiatric conditions.

Q (1 term) +

Qualitative Data: Information gathered from observations, interviews, or open-ended questions that provide insights into a child's behaviors, feelings, or learning style, rather than numbers or scores.

R (7 terms) +

Receptive Language: The ability to understand and process spoken or written language, including following directions, understanding questions, and making sense of conversations.
Regulation (Emotional or Behavioral): The ability to manage emotions, impulses, and behaviors in various situations, helping children cope with frustration, follow rules, and respond appropriately to challenges.
Regression: A return to earlier developmental behaviors or skills.
Remediation: Targeted teaching or intervention designed to help improve specific skill deficits identified through assessment.
Response to Intervention (RTI): A multi-tiered approach to early identification and support for students struggling cognitively, behaviorally or emotionally.
Role Playing: A method used in therapy or education where children practice social skills or coping strategies by acting out different scenarios.
Rumination: The repetitive focus on negative thoughts or feelings, which can contribute to anxiety or depression.

S (19 terms) +

Scaffolding: Support given during the learning process that is gradually removed as the learner becomes more independent.
Screening: Brief assessments used to identify children who may need further, more comprehensive evaluation for developmental, academic, or behavioral concerns.
Self-Advocacy: The ability for a child or adolescent to understand their needs and effectively communicate them to others (e.g., telling a teacher they need extra time or asking for help when confused).
Self-Efficacy: A child's belief in their ability to succeed or complete tasks, important for motivation and learning.
Self-Monitoring: A skill that involves being aware of one's own behavior or performance and adjusting it as needed—for example, noticing when they're distracted and bringing their attention back to a task.
Self-Regulation: The ability to manage one's behavior, emotions, and thoughts in order to achieve goals, adapt to situations, and respond effectively to challenges.
Sensory Overload: A state in which the person has difficulty processing and organizing sensory input—such as sound, light, touch, or movement—because it's coming in too quickly or intensely. This can lead to strong emotional or behavioral reactions like shutting down, irritability, or meltdowns. Recognizing triggers and providing calming strategies (e.g., quiet spaces, noise-canceling headphones) can help reduce distress and support regulation.
Skill Generalization: The ability to apply learned skills in different settings or situations (e.g., using problem-solving strategies at home and in school).
Sleep Hygiene: Habits and practices that promote quality sleep—like consistent bedtimes, limited screen time before bed, and calming routines. Sleep issues can affect attention, behavior, and emotional regulation.
Social Communication Skills: The use of language in social contexts—like taking turns in conversation, understanding nonverbal cues, or using appropriate tone.
Social-Emotional Skills: The skill used to understand and manage emotions, build healthy relationships, and navigate social situations. These include taking turns, recognizing others' feelings, coping with frustration, and resolving conflicts.
Special Education: Specially designed instruction and support provided to students with learning, developmental, emotional, or physical differences that impact their ability to succeed in a general education setting. Services are tailored to meet each student's unique needs and may include modifications to curriculum, teaching strategies, or learning environments to help them access education and make meaningful progress.
Speech/Language Therapy: Specialized services that help children improve their ability to communicate effectively. This may include support for understanding and using language, speaking clearly, forming sounds correctly, improving social communication skills, and developing strategies for expressing thoughts and ideas.
Speed of Processing: How quickly the brain can interpret, process, and respond to information.
Standardized Test: A test administered and scored in a consistent, uniform way for all individuals. Results are compared to those of a large, representative group (the "norming group") to evaluate performance relative to others of the same age or grade.
Stimulus Control: A behavioral strategy that involves using environmental cues or settings to influence behavior—either by encouraging desired behaviors or unintentionally reinforcing unwanted ones. For example, a quiet, clutter-free workspace can support focus during homework, while visual schedules or clear routines help signal expectations and increase success. However, environments can also reinforce negative behaviors—for instance, a child might associate a certain place (like a store) with tantrums if giving in has worked in the past, or they may struggle to sleep if a bedroom is regularly used for stimulating activities like screen time. Understanding and adjusting environmental triggers can help families and providers promote more positive, consistent behavior at home, school, or in therapy settings.
Strengths-Based Approach: An approach that shifts the focus from a child's challenges or deficits to their unique strengths, talents, and positive qualities. It emphasizes resilience, potential, and capacity for growth, helping individuals thrive by building on what they do well.
Structured Environment: A predictable and organized setting that provides clear routines, expectations, and supports—important for children with attention, learning, or regulation difficulties.
Superbill: A detailed receipt that includes diagnostic and billing information, such as CPT codes and provider details. Families may submit a superbill to their insurance company to request out-of-network reimbursement, if their plan allows.

T (7 terms) +

Telehealth: The delivery of evaluation, consultation, or therapy services remotely through secure video or phone communication, allowing access to care without an in-person visit.
Telehealth Services: Healthcare services provided remotely using secure video, phone, or online platforms. Telehealth may be used for certain interviews, follow-up visits, feedback sessions, or consultations when appropriate.
Testing: A structured process using standardized tasks and tools — such as puzzles, questions, and computer-based activities — to assess how a person's brain functions in areas like memory, attention, language, problem-solving, and emotional functioning. These tasks help us understand how a child thinks, learns, and manages emotions, and they guide us in identifying strengths and challenges to inform diagnosis, support, or treatment planning.
Testing Accommodations: Changes or supports provided during testing that help individuals with specific needs fully access the test environment and demonstrate their true abilities, such as extra time, breaks, or alternative formats, without changing the test content itself.
Therapy/Counseling: A supportive, collaborative process with a trained mental health professional aimed at helping individuals better understand their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; develop healthy coping strategies; and improve emotional, behavioral, or relational well-being.
Transition Services: Individualized support and planning designed to help students with learning and developmental differences prepare for and move successfully from school to post-school life. This may include support for further education, employment, independent living, vocational training, and community participation.
Trauma: A psychological and emotional response to an event or series of events that are overwhelmingly distressing, frightening, or harmful - such as abuse, neglect, loss, or exposure to violence. Trauma can affect a person's sense of safety, emotional regulation, behavior, and ability to function in daily life, sometimes long after the event.

U (2 terms) +

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach to education that helps all children learn better by offering different ways to engage with lessons, understand information, and show what they know. For example, your child might be able to learn through reading, listening to audio, or watching videos—whichever works best for them. They might also have the option to express their understanding by writing, talking, or creating a project. Teachers may give choices in how assignments are completed and allow kids to work at a pace that fits their needs. This approach helps make learning more accessible and enjoyable for every child.
Unstructured Setting: An environment where a child interacts naturally without specific tasks or directions—such as at home or on the school playground—allowing observation of spontaneous behavior and social interactions. This contrasts with a structured setting, like an evaluation room, where tasks and activities are carefully controlled and directed.

V (12 terms) +

Validity: The degree to which a test or assessment measures what it is intended to measure, ensuring reliable and meaningful results.
Verbal Comprehension: The ability to understand and process spoken language, including vocabulary and verbal reasoning skills.
Verbal Expression: The ability to clearly and effectively articulate thoughts, ideas, and information using spoken language.
Verbal Memory: The ability to accurately encode, store, and recall verbal information one hears, like stories, instructions, or conversations.
Vision Therapy: A type of therapy aimed at improving visual skills and processing, often used for children with difficulties in eye coordination, tracking, or focusing.
Visual Attention: The skill of selectively focusing on relevant visual stimuli while filtering out distractions.
Visual Discrimination: The ability to detect subtle differences and similarities between visual stimuli, including shapes, letters, and numbers.
Visual Memory: The ability to accurately encode, store, and recall visual information—such as shapes, designs, or faces—after both short and extended periods of time.
Visual-Motor Integration: The coordination of visual perception and fine motor control, important for tasks like handwriting and drawing.
Visual Processing: The brain's ability to interpret and make sense of visual information, such as recognizing shapes, patterns, letters, or spatial relationships.
Visual Tracking: The ability to smoothly and efficiently follow moving objects or scan a static page of text from left to right. Proficient visual tracking is fundamental for fluent reading, note-taking, and copying written work accurately.
Vocational Training: Education and support focused on teaching job skills and work readiness to help young people prepare for employment and independent living.

W (5 terms) +

Wandering (eloping): This term refers to when a child leaves a safe environment without informing a caregiver, such as walking away from a playground or leaving the house unnoticed. Wandering can pose safety risks and is more frequently observed in children with autism or developmental delays, making appropriate supervision and safety precautions important.
Withdrawal: This describes when a child may pull back from social interactions or usual activities. You might notice your child spending more time alone or showing less interest in things they normally enjoy. Withdrawal can be a response to feelings of anxiety, sadness, or being overwhelmed.
Word Retrieval: This is the ability to quickly and accurately find the right words when speaking or writing. For instance, a child might use placeholders like "thingy" or "you know, that…" when they can't recall a specific word.
Working Memory: This refers to your child's ability to temporarily hold and manipulate information in their mind—for example, remembering a phone number just long enough to dial it or following multi-step directions like "put on your shoes, grab your backpack, and meet me at the door. Children with difficulties in working memory may have trouble recalling parts of instructions or completing tasks that involve several steps.
Wraparound Services: A team-based approach that coordinates education, behavioral support, healthcare, and family resources to develop a personalized plan tailored to your child's and family's unique needs.

X (1 term) +

X-linked Disorders: Genetic conditions caused by changes in genes on the X chromosome. These can affect brain development and functioning, sometimes leading to learning, behavioral, or developmental differences.

Z (1 term) +

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): The range of tasks that a child can perform with guidance but not yet independently, highlighting the potential for learning with appropriate support.