Glossary

Acquisition Skill – A skill that is being taught.  This is a skill that the client does not currently possess, and the treatment team is currently working on developing.

Apraxia of Speech Disorder– Difficulty carrying out purposeful, voluntary movement sequences of speech in the absence of paralysis or weakness of speech musculature

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) – ABA is an evidence-based science that looks at the changes in the environment and how it affects one’s behavior.  It focuses on teaching socially significant behavior through positive reinforcement and other behavior analytic priciples.

Articulation/Speech Disorder– Unable to produce age-appropriate sounds

ABLLS-R (Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills)– Assessment, curriculum guide, and skills tracking system for children with language delays developed by James W. Partington, Ph.D. and Mark L. Sundberg, Ph.D.  The ABLLS-R can be used to guide skill development throughout the child’s treatment.

AFLS (Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills) – An assessment and skill guide developed by James W. Partington, PhD, BCBA-D, and Michael M. Mueller, PhD, BCBA-D.  The AFLS provides a systematic way to evaluate, track, and teach functional, adaptive, and self-help skills so that individuals can become more independent.

Baseline – An experienced team of therapists works with the client to assess client’s current skill set across different skill domain areas (communication, self-care, play, etc.).  This begins when the client enrolls and is scheduled after the pre-admission assessment (PAA).  The goal of establishing the child’s current skill level is to determine what skills the child had before attending Partners and to determine a starting point for his/her programming.

Chaining – The process that breaks down a complex task (washing hands, tying shoes, etc.) into teachable steps, in which each step is then taught individually.  The steps are put together to complete the task being taught.

Childhood Apraxia of Speech – Difficulty carrying out purposeful, voluntary movement sequences of speech in the absence of paralysis or weakness of speech musculature.

Discriminative Stimulus (Sd) – An Sd is the instruction given to the client. It may be verbal or non-verbal.

Example:  “Clap your hands”  (child claps hands)

What is your Mom’s name?  (Child responds “Sally”)

A red stoplight (driver stops car)

Echoics – Repeating the exact same thing as another person says.

Example:  Therapist Client

“Cracker?”  “Cracker.”

“Cat?”  “Cat.”

Example:  Therapist Client

“Twinkle, twinkle little?”  “star.”

“What is your name?”  “Sam.”

Errorless Teaching – A procedure used to minimize learner errors so the client remains successful.  When presenting a demand, the therapist follows it with an immediate prompt to get a correct response from the client.  The prompts are then faded to teach the client to demonstrate the correct response independently.

Expressive Language – Communication of one’s ideas, desires, or intentions to others, usually through speech or printed words but may also include gestures, sign language, use of a communication board, and other forms of expression.

Expressive Language Disorder– Unable to form and/or communicate meaningful messages using age appropriate words or grammar.

Extinction – A behavioral principle in which the reinforcing consequence for a target behavior is eliminated which results in a decrease in the frequency of the behavior.  

Feeding and Swallowing Disorder– Difficulties bringing food/drink to mouth, keeping food/drink in mouth, chewing food, and/or swallowing food/drink.

Fine Motor Skills–  Use of small muscle groups for precise movements.

Fluency Disorder– Deviations in continuity, smoothness, rhythm and/or effort with which sounds, words, sentences are spoken (e.g., stuttering)

Follow Through – To continue with a demand placed on the client. 

Gross Motor Skills– The ability to use large muscle groups that coordinate body movements involved in activities such as walking, running, jumping, throwing and maintaining balance.

Intraverbals – A form of verbal behavior where the speaker responds to another’s verbal behavior.

Mands – Requests, asking for items, actions, activities, and/or information.

Examples:  mand for item “cookie” or “I want cookie”

mand for information “Where is the ball?”  “What’s your name?”

Mastered Skills – A skill that has met mastery criteria and can be demonstrated across multiple stimuli, people, and environments.

Motor Imitation – Physical movements that are copied from a modeled action (adult claps then the child claps.)

Motor Planning or “Praxis”– The ability to plan, initiate and execute a motor action.

Natural Environment Teaching (NET) – Teaching new skills using the activities of interest to the clientin a natural context.

Occupational Therapy– Occupational Therapy in the pediatric setting involves the therapeutic use of play activities to increase independence and reach developmental milestones.

Oral Motor Disorder– Difficulties with muscle function and/or motor planning that affect the individual’s ability to eat, drink or speak

Pairing or Pairing with Reinforcement – The therapist associates themselves and the teaching environment with the availability of high rates of positive reinforcement through access to desired items and/or activities. The goal is for the client to see the center as a fun place to be and the therapist as the person who delivers good things.

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) – A communication system using removable pictures to allow the client to indicate their wants and needs.

Proprioceptive System– The unconscious sense of the body’s position, movement, and actions arising from stimuli within the body itself.

Prompt – A prompt is a support given to the client to increase the likelihood of a correct response.