Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Money paid for instruction, generally at a school or college, not including related expenses such as room and board, books, registration, on-campus health care, and fees for other activities. Schools may reduce or waive tuition for some students, as because of academic excellence, economic need, or minority status; such financial aid may be in the…

A student who is out of school without a valid excuse on a day when school is considered in session. Such a student is officially regarded as violating laws of compulsory attendance and may be contacted by the school’s attendance or truant officer.  

The official record of a student’s performance at a school, including classes or courses completed, the final grade or evaluation received for each, any diplomas awarded, perhaps comments on the student as a person, and appropriate related information, such as an explanation of the school’s grading system. If a student transfers from one school to…

Alternate term for aminotransferases test, a kind of liver function test.  

An approach in which children with ear and hearing problems are taught to use any communication skills at their disposal. They are not barred from employing manual communication, such as fingerspelling and American Sign Language.  

A type of birth defect in which all four limbs are missing; the more general term for absence of one or more limbs is amelia.  

A type of vaccine that is normally given first in a combination DTP vaccine, covering diphtheria, tetanus (lock¬ jaw), and pertussis (whooping cough) and later in booster shots of Td vaccine.  

A medical specialist in the study of birth defects; from the Greek teras, meaning “monster.”  

General term describing behavior considered well chosen for completion of the task set for a child; a common descriptive phrase used in reports of developmental screening tests. If the task is drawing a picture, for example, sitting down quietly with crayon and paper would be considered task-appropriate, while walking around the table would not.