The Early Intervention Dictionary: A Multidisciplinary Guide to Terminology

Defines terms used by different medical, therapeutic, and educational professionals who provide early intervention services

Federal legislation is increasingly mandating that a full range of specialized services be made available to all infants and preschoolers with special needs. These early intervention programs generally involve a team of medical, educational, and psychological specialists who work with the youngsters and their families to maximize each child's potential. Because early intervention is a developing field involving a variety of disciplines, each with its own vocabulary and perspective, this dictionary--the first of its kind in comprehensiveness and scope--is particularly valuable. Entries are arranged alphabetically and include useful explanations for acronyms and abbreviations, generic and brand-name drugs, and medical and psychological tests and scales. This scholarly yet accessible source is highly recommended for parenting and education collections.
- Linda Cullum, Lake Superior State Univ. Lib., Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Laws in every state now mandate early intervention for children who are developmentally delayed, physically disabled, or at risk. This reference tool defines terminology used by professionals who treat children with developmental or environmental problems from birth through age three. The perspectives of medicine, psychology, and education are represented in the entries. The intended audience includes professionals from such specialties as speech therapy and physical therapy as well as parents of children with special needs. Students should also find it a useful source. The compiler, a practitioner in early intervention, selected entries from current literature and from discussion with other experts.

More than 2,000 words are defined in nontechnical language, and pronunciation is given when necessary. Cross-references and contrasting terms are also indicated. Precisely stated and up-to-date information is given in such entries as at-risk, intelligence, and autism. Augmentative communication and the confusing array of special-education laws are clarified. Other features include appendixes with growth, conversion, and Apgar charts; nutritional guidelines; and an immunization schedule.

While most special-education books provide glossaries, this appears to be the first American dictionary on the subject. Phillip Williams' Glossary of Special Education (1988) is a more general treatment of the entire field of special education and has a British slant.

This new dictionary is flawed. Such obvious terms as abdomen, abdominal, antibiotic, anesthesia, and jumping are defined while other terms that seem pertinent to early intervention practice are not found. Some examples of these omissions are apperception testing, arousal level, cross-laterality, dizygotic twins, lisp, lalling, fragilitas ossium, left-right progression, figure-ground distraction, and a number of such standard tests as the Arthur Performance Scale, Yale Developmental Examination, and Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test. Some prefixes are given, such as labi-/labico meaning "lip," when it might have been helpful to apply them to a specific term such as labialism, a speech defect presenting a tendency to use W rather than R.

These omissions nothwithstanding, this novel tool should be acquired by professional, academic, and public library collections. Because of its uniqueness and the importance of its subject, the Board hopes that an improved version will be forthcoming.