Communication Disorders Glossary

noun a language that uses manual communication and body language to convey meaning

• Many countries have recognized sign language as an official language.
• I learned some basic sign language to communicate with my deaf cousin.
• She's fluent in sign language, so she can talk with her hands really fast.
• Learning to interpret body language is like learning a new form of sign language.

noun a treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder

• The patient underwent cognitive behavioral therapy to address their anxiety disorder.
• I've been going to therapy to work through some stuff.
• Therapy is my weekly sanity check.
• Music has always been my therapy during tough times.

noun a portmanteau of 'ring' and 'anxiety', referring to the feeling of anxiety or distress caused by the sound or vibration of one's phone ringing or receiving a notification

• Ringxiety is a term used to describe the sensation of hearing your phone ring or vibrate when it is not actually ringing.
• I keep experiencing ringxiety, thinking my phone is buzzing when it's not.
• I hate when I get ringxiety, it's so annoying!
• Her constant checking of her phone shows she has a case of ringxiety about missing important calls.

noun American Sign Language

• American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual language used by deaf and hard of hearing individuals.
• I've been learning ASL so I can communicate better with my deaf cousin.
• Let's practice our ASL skills together and see how fluent we can get!
• Learning ASL has opened up a whole new world of communication for me.