DEFINITIONS

Activity
Any event determined to be meaningful to a particular individual and performed by nondisabled chronologically age appropriate peers in natural environments

Adaptations
Any device or material used to accomplish a step, a sequence of steps, or a complete task more independently, safely, efficiently, or successfully. Adaptations are used with and by individuals with disabilities so that they can participate more actively or fully in home and community settings.

Augmentative Communication Device
These devices are used by a student to communicate needs and wants more successfully. The intent of any given device is to help overcome difficulties between a student with a disability and a communication partner. A device may assist a student to express a choice while ordering a meal, or provide a means to converse with a nondisabled peer during a meal. Different devices may use pictures, objects, unique symbols, or words; and are based on a student's sensory capabilities, cognitive understanding, and communication skills.

Canes
These adaptive devices are used during travel. There are various types of canes including the 'long cane' used by many individuals who have a severe visual impairment to travel more safely and independently. There is also a 'white cane' law which governs the use of this cane by individuals with a visual impairment in traffic situations. Cane travel is often taught by a certified Orientation and Mobility Instructor who provides a cane, evaluates its use, and provides instruction to a student with a visual impairment in a variety of travel circumstances.

Clues
Any item that provides supplemental information about a situation including: a location in the environment, a way to anticipate what happens next, or the means to guide a decision. Clues usually require interpreting information through the use of the senses (e.g., visual, auditory, smell, movement, etc.)

Collaborative Teams
This is team whose members share their expertise to generate ideas, and who come to consensus regarding decisions that effect a student's instructional program. These teams are usually made up from members of a student's Individual Education Program (IEP) or Individualized Program Plan (IPP) team.

Criterion for Achievement
An agreed upon set of circumstances that demonstrates success. What a situation will 'look like' when success has been achieved.

Cues
Cues or prompts are used for teaching, guiding, or supporting a student while participating and learning during an activity. These may include physical prompts, verbal prompts, shadowing, coactive movement, modeling, touch, hand under hand, and others. An approach that uses the least intrusive cues or prompts possible is always preferred. As a student's participation increases or abilities develop, attempts should be made to fade prompts or systematically reduce the student's reliance on support.

Data Collection Schedule
An identified timeline for collection of data that helps guide the team to make regular reviews of decisions they have made.

Discrepancy Analysis
This is a form of assessment which takes an activity or task broken into a sequence of steps (see task analysis of a student without a disability) and uses it as a standard of comparison. The written sequence is then used to assess a particular student's ability to perform the activity or task. Discrepant steps in the sequence are those the student cannot perform independently or without help. Ideas on how to support, assist, or teach the student to complete particular steps are then generated to help the student overcome the discrepant steps and more successfully participate or complete the activity or task sequence

Environment
Environments or settings are where activities take place. Environments are sometimes grouped together and referred to as a life domain. A domain represents a category of environments and activities in a person or student's daily life. A list of common domains are home, school, community, work, and recreation.

Family Inventory
This is a collection of information reported by family members about their children including preferred activities, current skills, and desired future outcomes that help give input toward the children's education.

General Environmental Inventory
This is a tool used to gather information about the types of activities that occur within a specific setting, location, or environment.

Landmarks
Landmarks, like clues, are items or objects that provide information about an environment or situation. Landmarks tend to be physical characteristics in the environment that are more unique and permanent than a clue.

Location
(or Travel Location) is the specific environment between two points of travel (i.e., starting point and destination) or the actual activity setting where movement related steps are part of the overall activity sequence.

Measurable Goals
These are one component of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and describe what the student can be expected to accomplish within a twelve month period

Modifications
A type of adaptation in which an alteration or adjustment is made to the way something is done. Modifications can include changing the typical sequence in which an activity is conducted, changing the way materials are presented, or changing the social environment in which an activity takes place.

Natural Supports
The use of co-workers, employers, peers and other naturally occurring
sources of assistance to aid an individual in an integrated, community-based setting.

Objectives or Benchmarks
These are one component of an Individualized Education Program and written by the IEP team to help break into specific parts what the student must demonstrate in order to accomplish the overall identified Individualized Education Program (IEP) Goal. Objectives are intended to be short-term and must include specific measurement criteria.

Occupational Therapist
A licensed health professional responsible for evaluating gross and fine motor function. An Occupational Therapist also designs and implements interventions to develop, improve or restore gross and fine motor and self-care skills. This includes designing or adapting materials, equipment, or the educational environment to meet a student's needs.

Orientation and Mobility Specialist
This specialist provides instruction to individuals with visual impairments on specific techniques, strategies, and modifications necessary to ensure safe and efficient travel in familiar and unfamiliar indoor and outdoor environments.

Partial Participation
Partial participation refers to the opportunity to participate in an activity, by an individual who may not have all the skills or abilities necessary to perform independently. Partial participation uses supports and/or adaptations at points (steps) in the activity sequence the student cannot complete without assistance

Physical Therapist
A licensed health professional responsible for evaluating gross motor function, reflex levels, range of motion, muscular strength and respiratory function. A Physical Therapist also designs and implements activities to prevent, correct, treat, or alleviate impairments. This includes evaluating, designing, and recommending adaption of assistive devices and equipment.

Residual Vision or Hearing
The remaining vision or hearing capabilities that allow a student some sensory input while the student participates in activities within the environment.

Routes
The path taken between two points as identified by the terms starting point and final destination. A route may encompass a long distance as in the path between a student's home and school. Or, it may cover a very short distance as in the path between the kitchen sink and refrigerator.

Sighted Guide
This is a particular travel strategy found in the teachings of O&M training programs that involves making use of a sighted person as a travel aide by a person with a visual impairment while moving about the environment.

Student Preference Survey
This is a collection of information either reported by the student, family, or familiar team members who "stand in the student's shoes" about what the student likes and doesn't like. The information may cover a wide variety of settings, tasks, interactions, or materials. When analyzed, the information helps the team determine what is a good activity-to-student match.

Supports
These are any modifications, adaptations, cues, or assistance the student needs to complete steps the student is currently unable to do independently but are necessary to the activity sequence

Task Analysis
A procedure in which all the steps of an activity or task are identified in the order they occur. That is the sequence of steps used to complete a specific activity or task (e.g., tooth brushing, eating cereal, opening a door).

Trailing
This is a particular travel technique found in the teachings of O & M training programs that involves extending the arm and the back of the hand along a boundary (e.g., wall) or flat surface (e.g., table) to detect obstacles, maintain a line of direction, or for location of a particular objective (e.g., doorway).

Travel Skills
The skills necessary for an individual to move safely from one place to another in home, school, and community settings.

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