Parent resources
A–Z glossary of child therapy terms
Therapy comes with a lot of jargon. Here is every term explained in plain, friendly language — so you always know what we (and other professionals) mean.
A
- AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication)
- Tools and methods that support or replace speech — from picture cards and gestures to communication apps — so a child who cannot yet talk can still communicate. Learn more →
- ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis)
- A structured, evidence-based therapy that builds helpful skills and reduces challenging behaviour by understanding what triggers and rewards it. Often used to support autistic children and those with behaviour difficulties. Learn more →
- Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
- Everyday self-care tasks a child gradually learns to do independently — dressing, feeding themselves, brushing teeth, using the toilet. A key focus of occupational therapy. Learn more →
- ADHD
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder — ongoing difficulty with attention, impulse control and/or activity level that is beyond typical toddler energy and affects daily life. Learn more →
- Apraxia of Speech (Childhood)
- A motor speech difficulty where the brain struggles to plan and coordinate the movements needed to talk, even though the muscles work. The child knows what they want to say but it comes out inconsistently. Learn more →
- Articulation
- How clearly a child produces speech sounds. Articulation difficulties make speech hard to understand — for example saying “wabbit” for “rabbit”. Learn more →
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
- A lifelong difference in how a child communicates, plays and experiences the world. “Spectrum” means it looks different in every child. Early support helps children thrive. Learn more →
- Assessment (Developmental)
- A gentle, play-based evaluation of a child’s speech, motor, social, play and learning skills to understand their strengths and needs and create a plan. Learn more →
B
- Babbling
- The “ba-ba” and “da-da” sound play babies make before real words. Rich babbling is an important early sign that speech is developing. Learn more →
- Baseline
- A snapshot of exactly what a child can do at the start of therapy. We measure against it later to see how much progress they have made. Learn more →
- Behavioural Therapy
- Therapy that teaches positive behaviours and life skills while gently reducing behaviours that get in the way of learning and relationships. Learn more →
- Bilingualism
- Growing up with more than one language — common in Pakistani homes. It does not cause speech delay; children can learn two or more languages well. Learn more →
C
- Cognitive Skills
- Thinking skills — attention, memory, problem-solving and understanding — that underpin learning and everyday tasks.
- Comorbidity (Co-occurring)
- When a child has more than one condition at the same time — for example autism together with ADHD. It is common, and therapy is planned around the whole child. Learn more →
D
- Developmental Delay (Global)
- When a child is noticeably behind in two or more areas of development, such as movement, speech, play or daily skills. Learn more →
- Down Syndrome
- A genetic condition that can affect learning, speech and muscle tone. With early, consistent support, children with Down syndrome make meaningful progress. Learn more →
- Dysgraphia
- A specific learning difficulty that makes handwriting and putting thoughts on paper hard, even when a child is bright and knows what they want to write. Learn more →
- Dyslexia
- A specific learning difficulty that mainly affects reading, spelling and writing, despite a child being bright in other areas. Learn more →
- Dyspraxia (DCD)
- Developmental Coordination Disorder — difficulty planning and coordinating body movements, so a child may seem clumsy or struggle with tasks like buttons or catching a ball. Learn more →
E
- Early Intervention
- Support given as early as possible — ideally under age three — when the brain is most adaptable, to make the biggest difference to a child’s development. Learn more →
- Echolalia
- Repeating words or phrases heard from others, sometimes immediately and sometimes later. It is common in autism and can be a stepping stone to communication. Learn more →
- Emotional Regulation
- A child’s growing ability to manage big feelings — calming down, coping with frustration and bouncing back — with the right support and strategies. Learn more →
- Executive Function
- The brain’s “management system” — planning, focusing attention, remembering instructions and juggling tasks. Often needs support in ADHD and learning difficulties. Learn more →
- Expressive Language
- A child’s ability to express themselves — using words, sentences and gestures to share thoughts and needs. Learn more →
- Eye Contact
- Looking at another person during interaction. Reduced or fleeting eye contact can be one early sign worth exploring, though every child is different. Learn more →
F
- Feeding & Swallowing Difficulties
- Trouble with eating, chewing, accepting textures or swallowing safely. Often linked to sensory or motor differences and supported by therapy. Learn more →
- Fine Motor Skills
- Small, precise movements of the hands and fingers — used for holding a pencil, doing buttons or using cutlery. Learn more →
- Fluency
- The smoothness and flow of speech. Difficulties with fluency include stammering (stuttering). Learn more →
G
- Generalisation
- Using a newly learned skill in different places and with different people — not just in the therapy room but at home and school too. A key goal of good therapy. Learn more →
- Gross Motor Skills
- Large movements using the whole body — sitting, crawling, walking, running and balance. Learn more →
H
- Hearing Impairment
- Reduced hearing that can affect how a child develops speech and language. Even mild or temporary hearing loss (such as from ear infections) can hold speech back. Learn more →
- Hypersensitivity
- Being over-responsive to sensory input — everyday sounds, textures, lights or tags in clothes can feel overwhelming or even painful to the child. Learn more →
- Hyposensitivity
- Being under-responsive to sensory input — a child may seek out movement, deep pressure or loud sounds because their body needs more input to feel “just right”. Learn more →
I
- IEP (Individualised Education Plan)
- A written plan with specific, tailored goals for a child who learns differently, plus the support and strategies to reach them. Learn more →
- Inclusive Education
- Teaching that welcomes and adapts to children of all abilities, so every child can learn alongside others with the right support. Learn more →
- Intellectual Disability
- When a child learns and understands more slowly and needs extra support with thinking and daily skills. Sometimes called a “slow learner”. Learn more →
J
- Joint Attention
- Sharing focus on the same thing with another person — for example looking at a toy together and back at each other. A key building block of communication. Learn more →
L
- Language Delay
- When a child is slower than expected to understand or use words, even if their speech sounds are clear. Learn more →
- Late Talker
- A toddler who understands well but uses far fewer words than expected for their age. Learn more →
M
- Meltdown
- An intense response to feeling overwhelmed — different from a tantrum because it is not about getting something and the child cannot simply stop it. Learn more →
- Milestones
- Skills most children develop by a certain age, such as first words or walking — useful guides (not strict rules) for tracking development. Learn more →
- Modelling
- Showing a child language or a skill by doing it yourself — saying the word you want them to say, so they hear and copy it. A simple, powerful home strategy. Learn more →
- Motor Planning
- The brain’s ability to think out, sequence and carry out an unfamiliar physical action — from climbing stairs to forming a new speech sound. Learn more →
N
- Non-verbal Child
- A child who does not yet use spoken words to communicate. They can still be supported to connect and express themselves through gestures, pictures and AAC. Learn more →
- Non-verbal Communication
- Communicating without words — through eye contact, gestures, facial expressions and body language. Learn more →
O
- Occupational Therapy (OT)
- Therapy that builds the everyday skills a child needs to take part in life — motor skills, handwriting, self-care, play and sensory regulation. Learn more →
- Oral Motor Skills
- The strength, movement and coordination of the lips, tongue and jaw used for both clear speech and safe eating and drinking. Learn more →
P
- Phonology
- The sound system of a language — the patterns and rules for how sounds go together. Phonological difficulties are a common reason speech is hard to understand. Learn more →
- Play-based Therapy
- Therapy delivered through play, following the child’s interests. Because children learn best when they are enjoying themselves, play is how real progress happens. Learn more →
- Positive Reinforcement
- Encouraging a helpful behaviour by following it with something the child values — praise, a favourite activity or a small reward — so it happens more often. Learn more →
- Pragmatics (Social Communication)
- The everyday social side of language — greeting, taking turns, staying on topic and reading body language. Often a focus for autistic children. Learn more →
- Prompting
- A hint or cue — a word, gesture or gentle physical guide — that helps a child succeed at a new skill, then fades as they can do it on their own. Learn more →
R
- Receptive Language
- A child’s ability to understand language — following instructions, answering questions and understanding words and gestures. Learn more →
- Regression
- When a child loses a skill they previously had, such as words they used to say. It is always worth mentioning to a professional promptly. Learn more →
- Remedial Education
- Targeted teaching that helps a child catch up on specific learning gaps at their own pace. Learn more →
S
- Scaffolding
- Giving a child just enough support to do something slightly beyond their current level, then gradually removing it as they master the skill. Learn more →
- School Readiness
- The mix of communication, social, attention and self-care skills a child needs to settle and learn at school — and which therapy can help build beforehand. Learn more →
- Screening
- A short, non-diagnostic check to see whether a child’s development looks on track or would benefit from a closer look. Try our free online screener. Learn more →
- Selective Mutism
- An anxiety-based difficulty where a child talks comfortably in some settings (often home) but cannot speak in others, such as school. Learn more →
- Self-Regulation
- A child’s ability to manage their energy, emotions and attention to suit the situation — for example calming down or focusing when needed. Learn more →
- Sensory Diet
- A personalised “menu” of movement and sensory activities spread through the day to help a child stay calm, focused and comfortably regulated. Learn more →
- Sensory Integration
- How the brain takes in and organises information from the senses so a child can respond calmly and appropriately to their environment. Learn more →
- Sensory Processing Difficulty
- When a child is over- or under-sensitive to sights, sounds, textures, movement or tastes, affecting behaviour and daily life. Learn more →
- Social Skills
- The everyday abilities that help a child connect — sharing, taking turns, joining in play and understanding others’ feelings. Learn more →
- Special Education
- Individualised teaching for children who learn differently, meeting them at their level with tailored goals and methods. Learn more →
- Speech & Language Therapist (SLT)
- A qualified professional who assesses and treats difficulties with speech, language, communication and sometimes feeding in children. Learn more →
- Speech Delay
- When a child is slower than expected to start talking or to build vocabulary. Learn more →
- Speech Sound Disorder
- Ongoing difficulty saying certain sounds correctly past the age most children have mastered them, making speech hard to understand. Learn more →
- Stammering (Stuttering)
- A difficulty with the flow of speech — repeating sounds, prolonging them or getting “stuck” when trying to talk. Learn more →
- Stimming (Self-stimulatory behaviour)
- Repetitive movements or sounds — hand-flapping, rocking, spinning — that help a child feel calm or regulated. Common and often helpful in autism. Learn more →
T
- Tantrum
- A burst of frustration (crying, shouting, kicking) usually aimed at getting something — a normal part of toddler development that therapy can help families manage. Learn more →
- Total Communication
- Using every available channel together — speech, gestures, pictures, signs and AAC — so a child can always get their message across. Learn more →
- Turn-taking
- The back-and-forth of interaction — you do something, then I do something. It underpins both conversation and play, and is practised from babyhood. Learn more →
V
- Visual Schedule
- A row of pictures showing what happens and in what order, helping a child know what to expect. It reduces anxiety and supports smoother transitions. Learn more →
- Vocabulary
- The bank of words a child understands (receptive) and uses (expressive). Growing vocabulary is a key marker of language development. Learn more →
W
- Working Memory
- The ability to hold and use information in mind for a short time — like remembering a two-step instruction long enough to follow it. Learn more →
Not sure what applies to your child? You don’t need to know the terms — just tell us what you’re seeing and we’ll explain everything clearly.
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