Autism Glossary

Paradoxical Reaction: The opposite reaction than would typically be expected.

Para-educator: See Paraprofessional.

Parallel play: Playing beside another child, but playing independently and not interacting with that child.

Paraprofessional: Also known as a para-educator, this person assists a classroom teacher in providing supports for a child with disabilities in educational settings.

Parent Training and Information Center (PTIC): Mandated under IDEA, these state organizations provide families with information relating to special education rights, laws, and issues.

PDD: See Pervasive Developmental Disorder.

PDD-NOS: See Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified.

Pedantic Speech: A longwinded, tiresome style of speaking, emphasizing self-absorption more than salient fact.

Perseveration: Seemingly purposeless, repetitive movement or speech that is thought to be motivated by a person's inner preoccupations.

Perserverative Behavior: Repetitive movements, speech or play patterns, such as repeatedly opening and closing doors or eye tracking.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD): An umbrella category in the DSM for a range of conditions that can include symptoms such as difficulties with communication and social skills, unusual interests or habits, and insistence on sameness. The PDDs are: autistic disorder; Asperger's disorder; PDD-NOS, Rett's disorder; and childhood disintegrative disorder. The term may be used synonymously with autism spectrum disorder.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS): A pervasive developmental disorder that includes most characteristics of autistic disorder but not enough to meet the specific diagnostic criteria for autistic disorder.

Pervasive Lack of Relatedness: A condition characterized by an individual's extreme difficulty relating to objects or people in a typical or appropriate fashion.

Petit Mal Seizure: See Absence seizure.

Phonetics: The specific sounds that comprise any spoken language.

Physical Therapist or Physical Therapy (PT): A therapist who specializes in improving the development of gross motor skills.

A therapist or therapy that works to increase the functionality of gross motor skills.

Pica: The eating of nonfood substances.

Pictures exchange communication system (PECS/PCS): A communication tools that uses photographs and/or drawings to replace words for language.

Pincer Grasp: The use of the thumb and forefinger to grasp small objects.

Pivotal Response Training (PRT): A treatment intervention for children with ASDs that teaches behaviors central to wide areas of function, such as motivation and responsiveness.

Placement: The selection of an appropriate educational program for a child with special needs.

Play Therapy: A diagnostic and treatment method sometimes used by child psychologists in which the child is encouraged to play or draw as a means of expressing his thoughts or feelings.

Positive Reinforcement: Providing a pleasant consequence after a behavior in order to maintain or increase the frequency of that behavior.

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS): A disorder on the autism spectrum.  PWS is a complex genetic disorder that typically causes low muscle tone, short stature, incomplete sexual development, cognitive disabilities, problem behaviors, and a chronic feeling of hunger that can lead to excessive eating and life-threatening obesity.

Pragmatics: The use of language for social communication. Includes requesting, protesting, commenting, sharing information, and the knowledge of the "rules" governing conversation.

Preschool: Full- or half-day school or day care program provided prior to kindergarten for children ages three to five.

Present Level of Development/Functioning: A child's present position on developmental scales; a requirement of an IEP.

Prompt: Input such as physical guidance or a verbal or visual reminder that encourages an individual to perform a movement or activity.

Prompt Dependence: When an individual requires a prompt in order to perform a taught task or behavior.

Pronoun Reversal: Phenomenon where in a child switches first- and second-person pronouns, replacing "I" or "me" with "you"  or "them."

Proprioception: The body's innate sense of its position in space.

Prosody: The style of speech identified by pitch or intonation, loudness, and tempo of spoken words.

Protection and Advocacy System (P&A): A nationwide program of state and national offices that advocates for the civil and legal rights of people with developmental disabilities.

Psychiatrist: A medical doctor who diagnoses and treats mental illness; in contrast to a psychologist, he or she may prescribe medications in treatment.

Psychological Assessment (or Psychological Testing): An assessment of various abilities, often including intelligence, adaptive skills, visual-motor skills, attentional skills, and other skills.

Psychologist: A professional who specializes in the study of human behavior and treatment of behavioral disorders and administers tests (e.g., of intelligence).

Psychomotor: Voluntary motor activity.

Psychosis: A mental disorder that alters an individual's understanding of reality, and may include delusions, hallucinations, or disturbed thought processes.

Psychotherapy: Treatment of mental disorders such as anxiety through psychological means (such as counseling and talking).

Psychotropic Medications (or Psychotropic Drugs): Medications that alter brain function. Psychotropic drugs are often used in the treatment of mental illness and sometimes for certain autistic behaviors.

PT: See Physical Therapist.

PTIC: See Parent Training and Information Center.

Puberty: The stage of physical development at which sexual reproduction first becomes possible.

Public Law 94-142: A name for an early version of IDEA.

Punishment: A consequence that is applied following a behavior to reduce the probability of that behavior occurring again.  Punishment can be very mild (a frown or scolding), more moderate ( brief timeout), or very sever (electric shock).