Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
27 results found in speech and language.
- AAC Abandonment (AAC Device Abandonment, AT Abandonment)
- The widespread phenomenon of users discontinuing their use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, particularly common among people with aphasia. Abandonment is driven by multiple…
- Aided Language Stimulation (Aided Language Modeling, Aided Language Input, ALgS)
- A communication intervention technique in which a conversation partner models language on an AAC device while speaking, pointing to symbols on the learner's communication system as they talk. This inc…
- Anomia (Word-finding difficulty, Anomic aphasia)
- Anomia is a language impairment characterized by difficulty retrieving words during speech, particularly the names of objects, people, or actions. It is the most common symptom across all types of aph…
- Apraxia (Apraxia of Speech, Childhood Apraxia of Speech, CAS, Verbal Apraxia, Dyspraxia)
- A motor speech disorder in which the brain has difficulty coordinating the muscle movements needed to produce speech, despite the muscles themselves not being weak. The person knows what they want to …
- Articulation Disorder (speech sound disorder, phonological disorder)
- A speech impairment characterized by difficulty producing speech sounds or phonemes correctly. Articulation disorders are classified into three categories: organic (caused by hearing loss or structura…
- Cognitive-Communication Needs (CCN, Cognitive-Communication Disorders)
- Difficulties in communication that arise from underlying cognitive deficits in areas such as attention, memory, organization, problem-solving, and executive function, rather than from primary language…
- Communication Diary (Communication Notebook, Communication Book)
- A low-tech, typically paper-based personal resource used by individuals with communication difficulties to support daily interactions. Communication diaries may contain written keywords, names, drawin…
- Communication Impairment (CI, Communication Disorder, Communication Disability)
- Damage to brain functions responsible for language and memory that impairs the expression and understanding of spoken and written language. Communication impairments can result from neurological disea…
- Conversation Analysis (CA)
- A qualitative research methodology that studies the sequential organization and interactional dynamics of naturally occurring talk and social interaction. Conversation analysis examines fine-grained d…
- Core Vocabulary (Core Words)
- A small set of high-frequency words — typically pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and prepositions — that make up approximately 80% of what people say in everyday communication. Examples include words like…
- DIY AAC (Do-It-Yourself AAC, Self-Made AAC, Bespoke AAC)
- Augmentative and alternative communication tools created or significantly customized by the users themselves rather than prescribed by clinicians or purchased as commercial products. DIY AAC ranges fr…
- Disordered Speech (Pathological Speech, Atypical Speech)
- Speech that differs from typical patterns due to motor, neurological, structural, or developmental conditions. Disordered speech encompasses conditions like dysarthria, apraxia, stuttering, and speech…
- Electrolarynx (Artificial Larynx, Electronic Larynx)
- A handheld, battery-powered device that produces voice for people who have lost their larynx. The device is held against the neck or cheek and generates vibrations that travel through the throat tissu…
- Fringe Vocabulary (Fringe Words, Context-Specific Vocabulary)
- Topic-specific or situation-specific words in an AAC system, typically nouns and other content words that are needed in particular contexts but not used frequently across all conversations. Examples i…
- Laryngectomy (Total Laryngectomy)
- The surgical removal of the larynx (voice box), typically performed as treatment for advanced laryngeal or throat cancer. A total laryngectomy results in the permanent loss of the natural voice, as th…
- Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT, LSVT LOUD)
- An evidence-based speech therapy programme originally developed for individuals with Parkinson's disease that focuses on increasing vocal loudness as the primary mechanism for improving overall speech…
- Multimodal Communication (Multi-Modal Communication)
- The use of multiple channels and resources simultaneously during interaction, including speech, gesture, gaze, facial expression, body movement, writing, drawing, and physical artifacts. All human com…
- Paralinguistic Features (Prosodic Cues, Non-Verbal Speech Features)
- Aspects of spoken communication that convey meaning beyond the literal words, including pitch, loudness, rhythm, tone, and emotional affect. These features are critical for understanding speaker inten…
- Phoneme (Speech Sound)
- The smallest unit of sound in a language that can distinguish one word from another. For example, the /b/ and /p/ sounds in "bat" and "pat" are different phonemes. American English has approximately 3…
- Sign Language Phonology
- The study of the smallest meaningful units that make up signs in signed languages, analogous to phonemes in spoken languages. In American Sign Language, signs are composed of phonological parameters i…