Special Education Terminology

noun a person or thing providing help or support

adjective providing supplementary or additional help and support

• The auxiliary generator kicked in during the power outage.
• I had to use the auxiliary cable to connect my phone to the car stereo.
• We need to bring in some aux cords for the party tonight.
• The new software serves as an auxiliary tool for data analysis.

noun a person who is unable to hear or speak

adjective describing someone who is both deaf and unable to speak

• The deaf mute community faces unique challenges in accessing communication services.
• My neighbor is a deaf mute, but we still communicate through sign language.
• Some people wrongly assume that all deaf mutes can't speak at all.
• The old building stood silent and still, like a deaf mute unable to share its stories.

adjective unable to hear or having impaired hearing

preposition indicating a lack of response or awareness to something

• The company seemed deaf to the concerns raised by its employees.
• She's completely deaf to any advice I give her.
• He's just deaf to all the haters out there.
• The politician appeared deaf to the cries for change from the public.

adjective excessively or abnormally sensitive

• Individuals with hypersensitive skin may experience adverse reactions to certain skincare products.
• My friend is so hypersensitive that even the smallest comment can hurt their feelings.
• Some people are just hypersensitive and need to chill out.
• The artist was hypersensitive to criticism, taking every negative comment to heart.

noun extreme foolishness or stupidity

• The decision was made with such blatant idiocy that it cost the company millions.
• I can't believe the idiocy of some people on social media.
• That was pure idiocy, dude.
• The idiocy of his actions left a trail of destruction in his wake.

adjective not capable of being educated or taught

• The psychologist determined that the child was ineducable due to severe intellectual disabilities.
• Some people believe that individuals with certain conditions are ineducable, but that's not always the case.
• Don't listen to those who say you're ineducable, you have the potential to learn and grow.
• His closed-mindedness made him seem ineducable when it came to accepting new ideas.

noun not applicable

verb not applicable

adjective describing a person who has a slower mental development than others

adverb not applicable

pronoun not applicable

preposition not applicable

conjunction not applicable

interjection not applicable

article not applicable

• The use of the term 'retarded' is considered derogatory and offensive in professional settings.
• I can't believe he still uses the word 'retarded' to describe things.
• That movie was so 'retarded', I couldn't even finish watching it.
• His decision to quit his job without a backup plan was truly 'retarded'.

verb to isolate or hide away from others

adjective secluded

• The monastery was built in a remote area to seclude the monks from the distractions of the outside world.
• I like to seclude myself in my room when I need some alone time.
• She always secludes herself in her own little bubble, never wanting to socialize with anyone.
• The author secludes himself in his writing, shutting out the noise of the world around him.

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.

adjective Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns or pronouns. They provide more information about a noun or pronoun by answering questions such as 'what kind?', 'how many?', or 'which one?'

• The company hosted a special event to celebrate its anniversary.
• I'm planning a special surprise for my best friend's birthday.
• That concert was lit, it was a special night for sure.
• Her smile was like a special kind of sunshine on a cloudy day.

noun a developmental disorder of the brain in childhood causing difficulty in activities requiring coordination and movement

• Individuals with dyspraxia may have difficulty with coordination and motor skills.
• My friend with dyspraxia sometimes struggles with tasks that involve fine motor skills.
• Dyspraxia can make things a bit tricky when it comes to hand-eye coordination.
• Navigating through a crowded room felt like trying to dance with dyspraxia.

noun a specific learning disability that affects a person's ability to understand numbers and learn math skills

• Individuals with dyscalculia may struggle with understanding mathematical concepts and performing calculations.
• My friend has dyscalculia, so I help them with math homework sometimes.
• Dyscalculia can make math feel like a foreign language to some people.
• For those with dyscalculia, numbers can seem like a puzzle that's missing a few pieces.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In this case, 'injuries' is a noun referring to physical harm or damage to the body.

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun. In this case, 'acquired' is an adjective describing the type of brain injuries being discussed.

• Individuals with acquired brain injuries may require long-term rehabilitation.
• People who have acquired brain injuries might need a lot of help to recover.
• Those with brain injuries they got later in life may need serious rehab.
• Acquired brain injuries can be like a storm that changes everything in an instant.