Glossary

Affordances – Opportunities in the environment that invite children to explore, move, and problem-solve, supporting motor planning and sensory engagement.

Adaptive Response – A purposeful, goal-directed reaction to sensory experiences that helps a child successfully interact with their environment.

Articulation – The ability to produce clear speech sounds.

Auditory Defensiveness – Over-responsiveness or distress in reaction to sounds or auditory stimuli.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) – Methods of communication other than speech, such as picture boards, sign language, or speech-generating devices.

Co-Regulation – The process of helping a child manage emotions or arousal through supportive adult guidance, modeling calm, and mutual interaction.

DIR / Floortime – Developmental, Individual-differences, Relationship-based approach that focuses on building healthy relationships and emotional development through play and interaction.

Dyspraxia / Praxis – Difficulty planning, sequencing, or executing purposeful movements despite having the physical ability to do them.

Expressive Language – The ability to communicate thoughts, ideas, or feelings through speech, gestures, or other forms of communication.

Echolalia – The repetition of words or phrases spoken by others, often used as a learning or processing strategy.

Gestalt Language Processing – A language learning style in which children learn and repeat large chunks of language as whole “units” or phrases (using immediate and/or delayed echolalia) before breaking them down into smaller components.

Gravitational Insecurity – Anxiety or fear related to movement or changes in head/body position, often linked to vestibular processing.

Handwriting Readiness / Fine Motor Skills – Foundational skills for writing and self-care tasks.

Interoception – The sense of the internal state of the body, including hunger, thirst, temperature, heart rate, and emotional cues.

Modulation – The ability to regulate and organize sensory input to respond adaptively to the environment.

Neurodiversity – The concept that neurological differences (e.g., autism, ADHD, sensory processing differences) are natural variations of the human brain, not deficits.

Occupational Therapy (OT) – Therapy that helps children develop skills needed for daily life, including self-care, motor skills, sensory integration, and participation in play and school.

Postural Control – The ability to maintain the body’s position in space for stability, balance, and function.

Pragmatics / Social Communication – The use of language in social contexts, including understanding gestures, tone, and conversational rules.

Proprioception – The input that is received to the muscles and joints of our body and helps us with our body awareness and to calm and regulate our nervous system.

Receptive Language – The ability to understand and process the language of others.

Self-Regulation – The ability to manage one’s emotions, attention, and behaviors to respond adaptively to different situations.

Sensory Integration / Sensory Processing – The process by which the brain receives, organizes, and interprets sensory information from the body and environment, allowing adaptive responses.

Sensory Seeking / Sensory Avoiding – Patterns of response to sensory input, where a child may crave or avoid sensations.

Somatosensory System – The body’s sense of touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioception.

Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) – Therapy focused on helping children develop communication, language, and speech skills.

Strength-Based Approach – Focusing on a child’s existing abilities and interests to promote growth and learning.

Tactile Defensiveness – Over-responsiveness or aversion to touch, textures, or certain sensory inputs.

Vestibular System – The sensory system in the inner ear that helps with balance, movement, and spatial orientation.