Glossary

Physical structure is a term used within structured teaching and refers to the organisation and layout of the room in which activities take place.

Physical therapies are a wide range of interventions involving the body, including physiotherapy, exercise and sports.

Physiotherapy, also known as physical therapy, is based on the idea that human movement is central to the health and well-being of individuals.

Phytomedicines is another name for botanicals, products made from plants or plant parts that are used to maintain or improve health.

PIC is a term sometimes used to describe picture-based augmentative and alternative communication systems other than the Picture Exchange Communication System.

Pica is an eating disorder defined as the persistent eating of non-nutritive substances for a period of at least 1 month at an age in which this behavior is developmentally inappropriate.

The Picture Exchange Communication System, also known as PECS, is a form of augmentative and alternative communication in which a child is taught to communicate with an adult by giving them a card with a picture on it.

Picture rehearsal is an instructional strategy that uses repeated practice of a sequence of behaviors by presenting the sequence to the individual in the form of pictures and accompanying script.

Picture symbols are line drawings, which are usually accompanied by the written word, used to enhance the spoken word.

Picture-in-the-head training is a form of theory of mind training, an intervention which teaches individuals how to work out what other people may be thinking and feeling,

Pig whipworm larvae, also known as trichuris suis ova, are the eggs of this parasite which are sometimes used as a treatment for gastro-intestinal and immune problems.

Pimozide is a conventional antipsychotic used to treat motor or verbal tics caused by Tourette's disorder.

Pioglitazone is a drug which is used with a diet and exercise programme and sometimes with other drugs to treat type 2 diabetes.

Piracetam is a drug, sometimes taken as a dietary supplement, which is designed to protect the cerebral cortex in the brain against a deficiency of oxygen.

Pivotal response treatment (previously known as pivotal response training or the natural language paradigm) is a form of teaching in which the teacher concentrates on changing certain 'pivotal' behaviours, such as motivation and self-management.

PKU is an acronym for phenylketonuria, a rare hereditary condition in which the amino acid phenylalanine is not properly metabolized.

Placebo effect is the psychological benefit to the participant through a belief that she or he is receiving treatment.

The Play and Language for Autistic Youngsters (PLAY) Project Home Consultation program is a combined, mutiple-component parent-mediated intervention focussed on social reciprocity.

The PlayWisely Program is a comprehensive, multi-component programme designed to help children between the ages of four months and three years.

Point and click software describes computer applications which work when the operator uses a mouse to point at and click on something on the computer screen.