Definition Chart?

Factual Questions
1

First question I’ve posted and I hope I explain this right, so here goes:

I’m currently taking a graduate course for Special Education and the paper I’m writing is calling for a Definition Chart…which is something I’ve never heard of or can even picture how this would work.

The requirement for said chart is to have Learning Disability and Communication Disorder on one axis and then causes, characteristics, educational placement, and a few categories on another axis.

Since these categories are very specific and have numerous tidbits to add to them, I can’t picture how or even WHY a chart like this would be used.

My instructor, when I asked for some type of template, simply said: “Just make it with the categories on one axis and the characteristics on the other…hope this helps.”

Well…it doesn’t in any possible way.

So, to the masses, can anyone explain or direct me to some type of visual on what the hell this is? My google skills are failing me and I’m about reading to break my laptop.

Thanks for any help.

2

I can imagine two scenarios:

  1. Where LD and CD do share some characteristics in which case you could do it with check marks where they apply:

______________
|         |  LD |  CD |
----------------------
| cat1  |  X   |       |
----------------------
| cat2  |  X   |  X   |
----------------------
| cat3  |       |  X   |
----------------------
| cat4  |       |  X   |
----------------------
| cat5  |  X   |       |
----------------------

or 2) where they don’t share any characteristics, but their characteristics do fall within the same categories:


_________________________________
|              |  LD               |  CD                   |
-----------------------------------------------------
| cause     |  genetics      |   environment    |
-----------------------------------------------------
|  char      |  =boredom   |  =shyness          |
|               |  =no focus   |  =stutter            |
|               |  =meds        |  =slang              |
|               |                    |  =cursing           |
-----------------------------------------------------
| ed place  |   special ed    |  tutoring          |
-----------------------------------------------------

Insert your own data of course :slight_smile:

3

OK well obviously SMDB isn’t built for doing charts. Just imagine the "|"s all lining up and you’ll get the idea. If you’re still confused I can do an excel chart for you.