Individuals diagnosed with handicaps or disabilities often use a wide variety of terms and phrases to describe special needs, educational guidelines, behaviors and social conditions. Understanding some of these terms helps you, your parents, friends and extended family more familiar with services and special education opportunities in your community. Some basic terms are also widely used in guidelines for federal organizations providing specific services for the disabled.
Advocate
An advocate is a person who fights for the rights of the disabled, or one who serves as an assistant to parents, hospital personnel and school districts to make sure the needs of the disabled are being met in a variety of environments, according to the Council for Disability Rights.
Cued Speech
Cued speech is a term widely used in the medical field to describe a style of communication with individuals diagnosed with hearing problems, according to the Council for Disability Rights. It's designed to bridge the use of lip reading, gestures and oral communication for children and adults.
Disability
The term disability implies a cognitive or physical impairment that may also include sensory disabilities such as lack of smell or taste, or any type of impairment that causes lifestyle, hearing, sight or mobility issues or difficulties for individuals. Various disabilities are known by different terms specific to Section 504 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, including autism, deafness, blindness, emotional disturbances, developmental delays, hearing impairment, mental retardation or orthopedic impairment, according to the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities.
EMH
EMH stands for "educably mentally handicapped," according to the Council for Disability Rights. This means that children who have cognitive disabilities or delayed development can be taught under the guidelines of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
IEP
IEP, which stands for individualized education plan, describes and defines the method by which special education needs and services are assessed and developed for teaching and support needs of disabled individuals.
Mainstreaming
A term used to define the process by which disabled children and adults are educated and trained to make the most of their abilities in social or classroom environment. The term basically means, for example, that a child with disabilities is not restricted or limited to special education classes or activities but may also be slowly immersed in regular classroom instruction and activities as much as possible.
Section 104
Section 104 is a term widely used in special education and needs therapies and protocols that defines the section in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, prohibiting those who receive federal funding from discriminating in any way against those diagnosed with a disability, according to the Council for Disability Rights.
