Glossary

A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted device that helps overcome problems in the cochlea (KO-klee-uh). The cochlea are snail-shaped, curled tubes near nerves in the ears. They transform sound vibrations reaching the ear into signals that can be sent to the auditory nerve (or hearing nerve).

Communication devices, also called Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices, are equipment people use to communicate without using verbal speech. In addition to unaided communication, such as facial expressions and gestures, these tools can help people with communication disorders interact with others and improve their language skills.

A wheelchair is a wheeled mobility device in which the user sits on and is able to be mobile. The device is propelled either manually (by turning the wheels by the hand) or via various automated systems such as electric motors. Wheelchairs are used by people for whom walking is difficult or impossible due to a disability, illness or injury.

A wheelchair assists people to become more mobile and independent. There are many different types of wheelchairs that are used for various reasons. 

There are manual push chairs that people propel on their own or with the help of a caregiver.  There are also Power wheelchairs (also known as electric wheelchairs or power chairs) that are for people who can control their chair electronically and are usually unable to move a manual wheelchair by themselves (due to physical mobility or cardiovascular strength).  There are many different types of power wheelchairs, and selecting the correct one for the user is very important for his/her comfort and well-being. Some people control their power chair using a controller with their hands, heads or whatever works for that individual. This allows the individual to be more independent.

No matter what type of chair a person uses, they are there to help the person to become more independent.

Some kids have medical issue that makes it hard for them to get enough nutrition by mouth. A gastrostomy tube (also called a G-tube) is a tube inserted through the belly that brings nutrition directly to the stomach. It's one of the ways doctors can make sure kids who have trouble eating get the fluid and calories they need.

A surgeon puts in a G-tube during a short procedure called a gastrostomy. The G-tube can stay in place for as long as a child needs it.

Kids who have had a gastrostomy can get back to their normal activities fairly quickly after they have healed.

An ankle-foot orthosis, or AFO, is a support intended to control the position and motion of the ankle, compensate for weakness, or correct deformities. AFOs can be used to support weak limbs, or to position a limb with contracted muscles into a more normal position. In addition, AFOs are used to control foot drop caused by a variety of neurologic and musculoskeletal disorders. Due to the common use for addressing foot drop, AFO has become synonymous with the term “foot-drop brace”.

The goal of AFO use is to stabilize the foot and ankle and provide toe clearance during the swing phase of gait. This helps decrease the risk of catching the toe and falling.

A hearing aid is a small electronic device that you wear in or behind your ear. It makes some sounds louder so that a person with hearing loss can listen, communicate, and participate more fully in daily activities. A hearing aid can help people hear more in both quiet and noisy situations. However, only about one out of five people who would benefit from a hearing aid actually uses one.

A hearing aid has three basic parts: a microphone, amplifier, and speaker. The hearing aid receives sound through a microphone, which converts the sound waves to electrical signals and sends them to an amplifier. The amplifier increases the power of the signals and then sends them to the ear through a speaker.