Glossary – D
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D&A – Drug and Alcohol
DAP – Disability Advocacy Program
Delinquency – Violation of law by a child or youth (usually under 18).
Delusions – Bizarre thoughts that have no basis in reality.
Dementia – A problem in the brain that makes it hard for a person to remember, learn and communicate. Eventually it becomes difficult for a person to take care of himself. This disorder can also affect a person’s mood and personality.
Depression (in children) – A feeling of sadness or irritability intense enough to interfere with functioning. It may follow a recent loss or other sad event but is out of proportion to that event and persists beyond an appropriate length of time. Affected children may be sad, disinterested, and sluggish or overactive, aggressive, and irritable. Physical disorders, life experiences, and heredity can also contribute to depression in children.
Deviant Behavior – Breaking formal or informal rules or laws relative to social customs or norms, including sexual behavior.
DIS – Department of Information Services
Discharge – The formal termination of service, generally when treatment has been completed or through administrative authority.
Dislocated Workers – Workers who have lost their jobs due to layoffs or other economic transitions. One-stop services for dislocated workers include job search and job placement assistance, labor market information, career counseling, employment planning, and access to relevant training and education opportunities.
DOLETA – U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration that administers federal government job training and worker dislocation programs. Website provides extensive resources and links for workers, business and industry, and workforce professionals.
Down Syndrome – A chromosomal disorder resulting in mental retardation and physical abnormalities. Most cases are caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21. Children with Down syndrome have delayed physical and mental development, specific head and facial features, and short stature.
DPW – Department of Public Welfare
Drug and Alcohol Intervention Services – Supportive intervention services for individuals and families with substance abuse problems.
Dual Diagnosis – A diagnosis of an emotional disorder and another disorder such as developmental delay, drug and alcohol use or mental illness.
Due Process Hearing – A formal legal proceeding presided over by an impartial public official who listens to both sides of the dispute and renders a decision based upon the law.
Dyslexia – A specific reading disorder involving difficulty separating single words from groups and parts of words within each word. Affected children may be late in speaking, have articulation problems, or have difficulty blending sounds or identifying sounds in words. It is identified in more boys than girls, and tends to run in families.