Autism Glossary

Mannerisms: Repetitive, seemingly purposeless movements or sounds; stereotyped behavior.  

Mediation: A resolution process.  If parents disagree with the school district on providing services for a child with disabilities, a third party mediator will be assigned to help both parties resolve the issue.

Medicaid: A US government-funded program that pays the medical expenses of people with limited financial means.

A joint state and federal program that offers medical assistance to people who are financially needy and are therefore entitled to receive SSI.

Medicare: A federal program, not based on financial need, that provides payments for medical care to people who are receiving Social Security payments.

Megadose Vitamin Therapy: Using vitamins in dosages that are at least ten times the recommended daily allowance. 

Meltdown: The total loss of behavioral control by a person with autism.

Mental Age: See Age Equivalent Score.

Mental Retardation (MR): The term used in the U.S. to describe people who score in the lowest three percentiles on cognitive assessment tests (generally 70 or below) and who also have significant difficulties with adaptive behavior. May also be referred to as intellectual disability.

Mercury: A heavy, silver metal that is liquid at room temperature; in the past, used in some preservatives for vaccines.

Milestone: See Developmental Milestone.

MMR: The abbreviation for the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine.  

Modeling: Observing and imitating another's behaviors and actions to copy them in one's own actions. See also Imitation.

Motor: Relating to the ability to use muscles to move one's body parts. 

Motor Planning: The brain's ability to conceive, organize, and execute a sequence of complex physical actions.

MR: See Menal Retardation.

Multidisciplinary: A team approach involving specialist in more than one discipline, including but not limited to an occupational therapist, a speech and language pathologist, and a psychologist.

Multidisciplinary team (or Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team) (MDT): Teacher, SLP (speech/language pathologist), occupational therapist, psychologist, and parents!  Used in reference to the group of individuals who are a part of development and implementation of an IEP.

Multihandicapped: Having more than one disability.

Muscle Tone: The degree of stretch or relaxation in a resting muscle. See also Hypotonia. 

Mutation: A change or alteration in genetic information.

Myoclonic Seizure: A seizure that produces brief, involuntary jerking of muscles.