Sensory Impairment A disorder affecting contract with the environment through the senses
(hearing, vision, taste, touch, kinesthesia).
Stroke (Apoplexy) Blockage of the body supply to the brain which may be transient and
temporary, or severe, resulting in paralysis, aphasia (a speech disorder), or incontinence (loss of
bowel control).
Traumatic Brain Injury A broad term for head injury sustained in an accident or other sudden
onset.
Williams Syndrome A neurobehavioral congenital disorder characterized by delayed motor
development, mild to moderate mental retardation and notable impairment in visual and spatial
functioning. Children display hyperacusis, responsiveness to music, and a social and verbal
fluency.
Accountability The process by which one is responsible and answerable for obligations to a
set of constituencies.
,Assessment A systematic approach to the evaluation, appraisal or observation of a person's
strengths and weaknesses in preparation for treatment planning.
Data-based Model An approach based on information retrieved through experimentation or
direct observation.
Dysphoric Having feelings of dejection, misery, and underestimation of self.
Empathy The sense of understanging another person's feelings, ideas, and desires by placing
oneself into the other's frame of reference.
Generalization The process of transferring or applying responses to a different set of stimuli,
new setting or another behavior. The transfer of effects to other behaviors, stimuli, conditions or
settings.
Goal Expected therapeutic outcome; a purpose or direction for therapy.
Insight The self-knowledge and deep understanding of personal issues, primarily regarding
the dynamics and roots of symptoms.
,Objective An expected outcome of therapy which defines the goal in clearly observable and
measurable behaviors.
Target Behavior A behavior or set of behaviors which provide the focus of therapy identified
in the therapeutic goal or behavioral objective.
Termination The final stage of therapy which should include evaluation of progress, a plan
for phasing out and/or ending therapy, recommendations for the future and a follow-up plan.
Auditory Learners A colloquial term referring to individuals who tend to learn more easily
through auditory means (listening) than through visual means (seeing or reading).
Fibromyalgia A nonarticular rheumatic disorder, also known as myofascial pain syndrome;
characterized by pain, stiffness and extreme tenderness in the muscles
Hyperacusis an extreme sensitivity to sound which is also associated with a responsiveness to
music and an ability to make very fine auditory discriminations
, Palliative A treatment which is designed to relieve symptoms rather than cure; applied most
often with individuals who have chronic or terminal illness.
Contract A mutually agreed upon set of expectations, rules, and policies, governing the
behavior of both therapist and client.
Metaphor An experience or setting within which behavior is representative or indicative of
other life experiences or environments.
Rapport Closeness or trust which is considered conducive to a warm, understanding and
caring environment.
Reinforcement Value The degree to which an activity or material is likely to serve as
reinforcement for the behavior, i.e., to result in an increase in the behavior it follows.
Assessment Tool A test, device, form, or instrument which is developed for the purpose of
measuring strengths and weaknesses in a given area.