Action plan: Generated by a student's teachers and other relevant parties, this document organizes the process of addressing student need by identifying who is going to do what and by when.

Alternative keyboards: Data-entry devices which are designed to accommodate the special needs of students with physical disabilities.

Assistive technology (AT): Equipment that improves the ability of people with disabilities to function within their environment.

Audiogram: A graph showing an individual's hearing sensitivity as measured by an audiometer.

Cognitive organizers: also called "Advanced organizers" are used in teaching to bridge between new learning material and existing related ideas. They include instructional activities such as brainstorming, mind-mapping, and predicting activities.

Constructivist: An individual who aligns with a theory of learning based on the premise that knowledge is constructed by the knower. Learners are seen as actively participating in seeking meaning and arriving at conclusions through a cyclical process of discovery.

Educating Marissa: This web site features a web-based case study enabling preservice and inservice teachers to explore (through text, video clips, graphics, and discussion features) issues related to the education of a deaf student.

Hadley the Hippo: Software program designed to combine word processing skills with reading instruction. Building upon the story of Hadley the Hippo, the program assists preservice teachers in becoming familiar with and integrating word processing into their writing classrooms.

Hypermedia technologies: Technology applications that allow users to access information in a nonlinear, self-tailored manner by providing instant links (hyperlinks) between different sources of information.

Individualized Education Plan (IEP): The Individuals with Disabilities Education ACT (IDEA) requires that an individualized education plan is drawn up by the educational team for each exceptional child. The IEP must include a statement of present educational performance, instructional goals, educational services to be provided, and criteria and procedures for determining that the instructional objectives are being met.

Listserv: E-mail based communication forum, usually centered on a particular issue or interest, to which individuals may subscribe. When a message is sent to the list, the software sends it along to each of the subscribers on the list. Access to post messages on the list is controlled by the list owner.

Mobility aids: Devices and equipment that enables individuals with physical disabilities to gain better access to their environment.

Switches: Devices that function in a fashion similar to a single button of a computer keyboard or mouse. Switches are often used by individuals who have severe motor difficulties. The users will use any body muscle (head, hand, toe, eye, breath, etc.) that they can control to operate the switch and, thereby, the computer, communication, or environmental control device.

TopClass: Course management software which enables teachers to create online instructional modules by generating web pages from data they enter into the program's templates.

Visual aids: Devices designed to assist individuals with visual impairments, such as screen readers, large-type books, taped books, and Braillers.

Web Course in a Box: Course management software which enables teachers to create online instructional modules by generating web pages from data they enter into the program's templates.

WebCT: Course management software which enables teachers to create online instructional modules by generating web pages from data they enter into the program's templates.