644 List of special or difficult words
L
Ligament Tough strips or bands inside the body tha t hold
joints and bones together. Ligaments join bones with other
bones, while tendons or cords join bones with muscles.
Limb An arm or leg.
M
Mental Having to do with the mind or intelligence. A child who
is mentally handicapped or mentally slow may not learn as
quickly or remember as well as other children.
Multiple disability Several disabilities, often both physical
and mental, in the same child. (See page 283.)
Muscles Meaty parts of the body that pull or ‘contract’ to
make the body and limbs move.
N
Nappy (diaper) A cloth to soak up urine, worn by a child who
does not have bladder control.
Nerve A thin line along which messages travel in the body.
Nerves are the ‘messengers’ of the body Some nerves let us
feel things, and tell us when something hurts. Other nerves
let us move parts of the body when we want to. (See p. 35.)
O
Occupational Having to do with work or function. An
occupational therapist is a person who helps figure out how a
disabled person can do things better.
Orthopedic Aids, procedures, or surgery to help correct a
physical deformity or disability.
Orthotist A brace maker.
P
Paralysis Muscle weakness; decrease or loss of ability to
move part or all of the body.
Paraplegia Paralysis or loss of movement in the muscles of
both legs (sometimes with slight involvement elsewhere)
caused by disease or injury to the spinal cord.
Physical Having to do with the body and how it works, as
distinct from ‘mental’, which has to do with the mind.
Physical therapist, physiotherapist A person who designs
and teaches exercises and activities for physically disabled
persons,
Positioning Helping a person’s body stay in healthy or
helpful positions—through special seating, padding, supports,
or in other ways.
Procedure Some kind of medical, surgical, or technical
action. For example, casting, strapping, and surgery are 3
procedures for correcting a club foot.
Progressive A progressive illness or disability is one that
steadily gets worse and worse. For example, muscular
dystrophy.
Prosthesis An artificial limb or other part of the body—for
example, a wooden leg. ‘Prosthetics’ is the art of making
prostheses.
Q
Quadriplegia (tetraplegia) Paralysis or loss of movement
in the muscles of both arms and legs caused by disease or
injury to the spinal cord, in the neck.
R
Rehabilitation The art of helping a person learn to live as
best she can and do as much as possible for herself, given
her limitations or disability.
S
Sensory nerves Nerves that bring messages from parts
of the body to the brain about what the body sees, hears,
smells, and feels.
Social Having to do with the actions, values, decisions, and
relationships within groups of people.
Spasticity Uncontrolled tightening or pulling of muscles
that make it difficult for a person to control her movements.
A muscle or a child with spasticity is said to be ‘spastic’.
Spasticity often occurs with brain damage, cerebral palsy,
and spinal cord injury.
Spinal Having to do with the spine or backbone.
Spinal cord The main ‘trunk line’ of nerves running down
the backbone. It provides communication (for movement and
feeling) between the brain and all parts of the body. (See p.
175.)
Spine Backbone; spinal column; the chain of bones, called
vertebrae, that runs down the back.
Stimulation Sounds, sights, activities, toys, smells,
touch, and anything else that makes a child take interest in
things and develop the use of his body and senses. ‘Early
stimulation’ refers to activities that help a baby develop his
first responses and skills. (See p. 301.)
Stool Shit; body waste that is usually solid; also known as
bowel movement or feces.
T
Tendon A strong rope-like structure in the body that connects
muscles to bones. In this book we mostly call tendons ‘cords’.
Tetraplegia (see quadriplegia).
Therapy Treatment; planned exercise and activity for a person’s
rehabilitation. See ‘physical therapy’ and ‘occupational therapy’.
Toxic Poisonous.
Transfer Moving from (or to) a wheelchair to a bed, chair,
cot, car seat, toilet, or floor.
Trunk The body, not including the head, neck, arms, and legs.
U
Urine Liquid body waste, also known as ‘pee,’ or ‘piss.’
V
Vaccination Immunization; to give certain medicines
(vaccines) by injection or mouth to protect against infectious
diseases such as polio and measles.
Velcro A strong, fuzzy plastic tape that sticks to itself. (The
surface of one piece of the tape has little plastic hooks
that catch onto the curly hairs on the other piece of the
tape.) Useful to use instead of buttons, buckles, or laces on
clothes, braces and shoes—especially for children with poor
hand control. (See p. 335.)
Virus Germs smaller than bacteria, that cause some
infectious (easily spread) diseases. Most viruses are not
killed by antibiotics.
W
Weight-bearing Supporting the weight of the body on a
particular joint or limb. For example, weight-bearing on the
knee is possible if the strength of the thigh muscle is good,
but not if it is poor.
Disabled village Children