Glossary Terms from the Orientation to Rehabilitation

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In this section are short definitions for some specialized words used in the case studies or other areas of this orientation. Longer definitions of some terms are available in the encyclopedia section.

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12-Step program - a systemized program for recovery from an addictive habit such as drug or alcohol abuse.

Accommodations - Accommodations are special adaptations made in an office, home, or other place so that a people with disabilities can do more things there. Basic accommodations could include helpful equipment, changes in the job schedule, special communication devices, or physical changes like ramps. For example, a person in a wheelchair may need to have desks raised up so they can fit the chair underneath, while a person with a mood disorder may need half an hour off to use sunlight-colored lamps. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, all public places and businesses have to provide "reasonable accommodations" to persons with disabilities.

Adaptive Equipment - Any tool that increases the ability of a person with a disability to do something. These can be commercial products, like wheelchairs or electronic communication boards, or customized/built objects, like a wheelchair ramp or blocks under a desk to raise it to a better height.

Adjustment Counselors - Office based counselors who help people deal with problems in adjusting to their disabilities.

Affect - emotions displayed through behavior and actions. This is in contrast to moods, which may or may not be visible to other people. Affects may even mask underlying moods.

Anti-depressants- drugs used to treat depression. Anti-depressants can only be ordered by a doctor or psychiatrist. Usually a person has to take an anti-depressant for several days or weeks before they and their doctor will know if it is working well. There will be a similar wait-and-see period for every new drug or change in the amount of drug a person is taking.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) - The Americans with Disabilities Act is a law passed in 1990 prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities. It is sometimes called the Civil Rights Act for people with disabilities. In particular, the ADA requires that all public businesses, public places (like parks or theaters) and government offices be accessible to people with disabilities. It also requires employers to make "reasonable accommodations" for employees who have disabilities. When a business is hiring someone, ADA requires that the employer make people with disabilities eligible for the job as long as they can do the "essential" parts of the job. Although many people think the ADA forces small businesses to do whatever people with disabilities want, the part of the Justice Department that enforces the ADA works hard to see both sides

Anxiety Attack - a sudden "attack" of intense fear or anxiousness when there is nothing going on around you that would cause the feeling. Often someone having an attack will try to think of something "about to go wrong" to explain their attack. Anxiety attacks can be very frightening and can interfere with a person's life.

APA Program Approval Process - the way the American Psychological Association approves a university's curriculum in graduate psychology degrees.

Assertive - (versus aggressive). Being assertive means to insist on your rights or respect for your opinions, or to demand recognition. Being aggressive means being openly hostile, or attacking someone with little or no reason. Aggressive behavior can be very destructive to relationships (or objects!). In contrast, assertive behavior respects the other person's rights but forcefully insists on recognition of yours as well. Being assertive can actually help relationships by clarifying your needs and preferences for other people. However, sometimes it can be difficult to be assertive but not aggressive.

Biceps - The muscle on the inside of the upper arm. It is responsible for bending the elbow and gets its name from having two bundles of muscle fibers in it.

Blood Work - a generic term for a blood test to check the level of a drug in your body. This is to check both that there is enough of the drug in your system and that there is not so much it could damage or kill you.

Borderline Personality Disorder - A disorder marked, primarily, by a fear of being abandoned and alone. People with this disorder tend to have a series of very intense and unstable personal relationships. They often use manipulation, promiscuous behavior, or self-destructive behavior to avoid being alone. This condition is very hard to treat.

Bowel And Bladder Management - Taking care of your bowels and urine system to prevent problems like infection or an Impacted Bowel . In the case of a paraplegic or quadriplegic, this can take two hours twice a week and involve digital stimulation of the bowel and cleaning of catheters. It is crucial that this be done regularly. ( see Spinal Cord Injury in the encyclopedia)

Breakthrough Depression - A depression that "breaks through" the successful drug treatment a person has been using to control his or her depressions. This does not mean that the drugs are not working and need to be changed. Instead, it means that the treatment works most of the time but the person may need a way to handle the few exceptions.