Adolescence

Visual impairment

Difficulty seeing, which can include blindness or partial sightedness.

Auditory impairment

Loss of hearing or some aspect of hearing.

Speech impairment

Speech that deviates so much from that of others that it calls attention to itself and interferes with communication.

Child-onset fluency disorder/stuttering

Substantial disruption in the rhythm and fluency of speech; the most common speech impairment.

Learning disabilities

Difficulty in acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, or mathematical abilities.

Public Law 94-142

The Education for All Handicapped Children Act passed in the mid-1970s, aimed at full inclusion and creating the least restrictive environment.

Autism Spectrum

A pervasive developmental delay affecting multiple areas of development, including communication, social interaction, and behavior.

ADHD/ADD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder/Attention Deficit Disorder, characterized by impulsivity, distractibility, and difficulty concentrating.

Anxiety Disorders

Internalizing disorders like Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Separation Anxiety Disorder that affect emotional regulation.

Major Depression Disorder (MDD)

Diagnosis requires five or more depressive symptoms persisting nearly every day for at least two weeks.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Disorder characterized by negative, hostile, and defiant behavior that typically occurs for at least six months.

Conduct Disorder

A disorder involving serious violations of rules and rights of others, including stealing and aggression.

Tourette Syndrome

A neurological disorder involving repeated, involuntary movements or vocalizations called tics.

Enuresis

Involuntary urination in inappropriate places, such as bedwetting.

Encopresis

Involuntary defecation in inappropriate places, often linked to constipation.

Pica

Disorder in which a child repeatedly eats nonfood substances for at least one month.

Selective Mutism

An anxiety-related disorder in which a child can speak normally in some settings but cannot speak in certain social situations.

Reactive Attachment Disorder

Develops when infants or young children experience severe neglect or abuse, leading to difficulty forming emotional attachments.

Ethic of Care

Gilligan's perspective that emphasizes relationships, responsibility to others, empathy, and compassion in moral development.

Identity diffusion

A state of not being interested in figuring things out for oneself or engaging in the work of finding a life.

Identity foreclosure

Acceptance of an identity given by someone else, often without personal exploration.

Identity moratorium

The process of actively exploring and figuring out one’s self.

Identity achievement

Commitment to self-chosen values after exploration.

Moral development

The interplay of cognitive development, social relationships, and emotions leading to moral reasoning.

Menarche

A girl’s first menstrual period, usually occurring between the ages of 11 and 14.

Puberty

The period of sexual maturation characterized by primary and secondary sex characteristics.

Major depressive episode (MDE)

A period characterized by physiological and psychological symptoms lasting many weeks.

Neural connectivity and synaptic pruning

Processes that are part of brain development during adolescence, impacting risk-taking and impulsivity.