Glossary

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Developmental Delay(also: Developmental Disability, Global Developmental Delay)

A condition in which a child does not reach developmental milestones — such as motor skills, speech, social skills, or cognitive abilities — at the expected ages. Developmental delay may affect one or multiple areas of development and can be caused by genetic conditions,…

Eye-Hand Coordination(also: Hand-Eye Coordination, Visuomotor Coordination, Oculomotor Coordination)

The ability to coordinate visual input with hand movements to perform tasks requiring precision, such as reaching for objects, writing, typing, or using tools. Eye-hand coordination involves the integration of visual perception, spatial awareness, and motor control. Deficits in…

Motor Coordination(also: Movement Coordination, Coordination)

The ability to integrate sensory information and muscle movements to perform smooth, accurate, and controlled physical actions. Motor coordination encompasses both gross motor skills (large body movements like walking) and fine motor skills (precise hand and finger movements).…

Phonological Development(also: Speech Sound Development, Phonological Acquisition)

The process by which children learn to produce and organise the speech sounds of their language, progressing from early cooing and vowel-like sounds through canonical babbling (consonant-vowel syllables) to recognisable words and complex phonological patterns. Phonological…

Prelinguistic Development(also: Pre-Speech Development, Prelinguistic Communication)

Prelinguistic development refers to the stages of vocal and communicative development that occur before an infant produces meaningful words, typically spanning from birth to approximately 12-18 months. This development progresses through recognized stages: the Phonation Stage…

Preverbal Communication(also: Prelinguistic Communication)

The stage of communication development before the consistent use of recognizable words, typically occurring in neurotypical children between birth and approximately 12 months of age. Preverbal communication includes vocalizations (babbling, cooing), gestures, eye gaze, facial…

Severe and Multiple Disabilities(also: Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities, PMLD, Severe Multiple Disabilities)

A condition where an individual has two or more significant disabilities occurring simultaneously, typically involving profound physical impairments combined with intellectual disability and often sensory impairments. People with severe and multiple disabilities frequently have…

Social Skills(also: Social Competence, Interpersonal Skills)

The abilities required for effective social interaction, including communication, cooperation, turn-taking, perspective-taking, reading social cues, and responding appropriately in social contexts. Social skill development is a key intervention target for individuals with autism…

Speech Sound Disorder(also: SSD, Speech Disorder, Articulation Disorder)

A communication disorder affecting the development of accurate speech sound and prosody production in childhood. Children with SSDs struggle with phonological representation, phonological awareness, and print awareness, which can lead to difficulties learning to read and impact…

Spina Bifida(also: Neural Tube Defect, Myelomeningocele)

A congenital birth defect in which the embryonic neural tube fails to close completely during development, resulting in an incompletely formed spinal cord. The severity ranges from mild (spina bifida occulta, often asymptomatic) to severe (myelomeningocele, where the spinal cord…

Visual-Motor Integration(also: Visuomotor Integration, VMI, Eye-Hand Integration)

The coordination of visual perception with motor output, enabling activities like writing, drawing, catching a ball, or manipulating objects based on visual information. Visual-motor integration is commonly assessed using standardized tests like the Beery-Buktenica VMI in…

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