A guide to important names, terms, and acronyms appearing in the autism literature.
Visitors have asked why I list some items by their acronyms instead of their full names. I chose to list an acronym if it is more commonly used than the full phrase for which it stands.
This guide is not a dictionary, though it should help most visitors read academic literature about autism. I aimed to create short, but useful listings. For longer definitions, you will need to look elsewhere.
Not everyone will agree with the definitions I offer, reflecting some of the debates within the autism community.
- [diag] = diagnostic / medical
- [law] = legal / regulatory agency
- [org] = organization
- [tt] = treatment / therapy
– # –
504 Plan –
– A –
ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) – [tt] intensive one-on-one therapy based on a system of incentives and rewards. As of 2007, the most common therapy for severe autism. Many autistic self-advocates oppose ABA as abusive, ignoring the needs of the autistic. Associated with O. Ivar Lovaas, a problematic figure who developed ABA to “cure” homosexuality.
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) –
ADD / ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) – [diag] sometimes co-morbid with autism spectrum disorders; some individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome are initially diagnosed with ADHD.
allistic – Not autistic. Not to be confused with neurotypical, which implies no neurodivergent traits, including but not limited to autism.
APA (American Psychiatric Association) – [org] professional organization for psychiatrists in the United States
ASA (Autism Society of America) – [org] the largest and one of the best-known autism advocacy organizations in the United States.
ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) – [diag] any of a group of disorders or personality types defined by specific characteristics in the DSM or ICD.
AS or AD (Asperger’s Syndrome / Disorder) – [diag] a mild autism spectrum disorder, usually without language impairment but with mild to extreme social difficulties
Asperger, Hans – one of the first individuals to describe mild forms of autism. Unfortunately, tolerated the rise of the National Socialists and might have been complicit in eugenics.
Aspie –
assessment – [diag] similar to a diagnosis; an evaluation to determine if an individual has a specific condition. Some schools offer “assessments” that are not the same as diagnoses.
ASQ (Autism Screening Questionnaire) – [diag]
ASSQ (Asperger’s Syndrome Screening Questionnaire) – [diag]
Au (stylized as Âû online) – Online, some Autistics have adopted the use of Âû to indicate their identities and activism.
Auditory Processing Disorder – [diag] often comorbid with autism spectrum disorders; often expressed as a sensitivity to sounds, especially background noises, but can also be an inability to focus on sounds.
Autie –
Autism / Autistic –
Autism Speaks – [org] advocacy organization, focused on “curing” autism and considered anti-autistic by the self-advocacy movements.
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN)
– B –
Baron-Cohen, Simon –
Bettelheim, Bruno – author of The Empty Fortress, responsible for promoting the “refrigerator mother” theory of autism. Discredited as a theorist and as a care provider by biographer Richard Pollak. Bettelheim misrepresented his academic credentials, which were primarily a doctorate in art.
– C –
CAP (Comprehensive Autism Planning System) – [tt] an education plan for an autistic individual, with an emphasis on predictability
CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale) – [diag]
Central Coherence Theory – the ability to interpret a situation quickly
CLE (College Living Experience) – specialized support at a college or university for ASD students; promotes independence from parents and the ability to adapt to new settings
comorbidity – [diag] two or more conditions being diagnosed as co-existing; autism is often comorbid with other physical and psychological conditions
Cure Autism Now (CAN) – [org] advocacy organization the promotes supposed “cures” for autism.
– D –
diagnosis – [tt] a determination by a medical or mental health professional that one has a specific condition, disorder, or disease
DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the APA) – [diag] guide used by mental health professionals to evaluate individuals.
– E –
eligibility – [law] legal term indicating an individual qualifies for special services mandated by law; might require a diagnosis, but not always
Enactive Mind – the ability to enact, recreate, perceptions and experiences
– F –
Facilitated Communication (FC) – [tt] the use of an assistant to help a non-verbal individual communicate, usually with the use of a keyboard or chart of letters; discredited. Independent tests consistently suggest the facilitator leads the movements and “communication.” Eye-tracking and other tests have found the non-verbal individual often isn’t looking at the chart or keyboard.
Fombonne, Eric – epidemiologist responsible for peer-reviewed statistical measures of rates of autism
Free [and] Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) –
– G –
GFCF (Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet) – [tt] diet some suggest reduces the symptoms of autism; scientific literature on the topic is minimal and inconclusive
Grandin, Temple – professor of animal behavior known for her autobiographical books on autism
Grinker, Roy Richard –
– H –
HFA (High-Functioning Autism) – [diag] generally used to describe autistic individuals with significant social and linguistic impairments, but roughly of average intelligence
hidden curriculum – the social lessons learned in academic settings; social values conveyed by teachers and other students
– I –
ICD (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems) – [diag]
IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 1975) – [law]
IDEIA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, 2004) – [law]
IEP (Individualized Education Plan/Program) – [law]
IQ (Intelligence Quotient) – [diag] number used to predict the ability to learn, often indicative of pattern recognition skills
– K –
Kanner, Leo – one of the first to document autism and describe it as a unique disorder or range of disorders
– L –
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) –
Lovaas, O. Ivar – the leading proponent of ABA therapy methods. Lovaas wanted to “cure” effeminate boys and then adapted this therapy to treat autism. ABA is opposed by many autistic self-advocates because of Lovaas’ troubling statements about autistics and the history of his methods.
– M –
MAPS (Magill Action Planning System) – [tt]
mental retardation – [diag] often comorbid with classical autism; generally diagnosed when IQ is estimated to be 65 or lower on a 100-normed scale; current estimates are that half of ASD individuals have reduced intellectual abilities
MIND (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) – [org] institute at the University of California, Davis, dedicated to researching autism and developmental disorders
– N –
neurodiverse, neurodivergent – both mean having a different neuro-psychology, including but not limited to autism, ADHD, and other cognitively atypical traits. Some argue individuals are neurodivergent, while groups or shared settings with some neurodivergent people are therefore neurodiverse.
Neurodiversity [Movement] – the self-advocacy movement promoting civil rights and acceptance for the neurodiverse community. Advocates now debate if neurodiversity refers to all people, or only neurodivergent individuals.
neurotypical (often NT) – not having any neurodivergent traits, including autism.
NIMH (National Institute for Mental Health) –
– O –
OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) – [diag] sometimes comorbid with autism spectrum disorders, but clinicians differ on if this is autism resembling OCD or if OCD exists apart from the autism symptoms
OSEP (Office of Special Education Programs) – [law] U.S. Dept. of Education office created to oversee special education
OSERS (Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services) – [law] U.S. Dept. of Education office
– P –
PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) – [tt]
PCP (Person-Centered Planning) – [tt]
PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified) – [diag] disorders associated with autism; range from severe to similar to Asperger’s Syndrome
PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) – [tt] use of photo or illustration flashcards to communicate
PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) – [diag]
– R –
RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder) – [diag] a failure to form emotional attachments to primary caregivers by five years of age; should not be confused with developmental disorders [ICD-10 94.1 and 94.2; DSM-IV 313.89]
RDI (Relationship Development Intervention) – [tt]
Rehab Act –
Rett’s Disorder – [diag] disorder caused by mutations in the gene MECP2 located on the X chromosome; almost exclusively affects girls, as male fetuses with the disorder rarely survive to term. Often included in texts as an autism spectrum disorder [ICD-10 84.2]
Rimland, Bernard – author of an early text on autism, Autism: Syndrome and Implications for Neural Theory of Behavior
– S –
Sensory Integration Therapy – [tt] therapy meant to reduce sensitivity to external stimuli
Shore, S –
SIB (Self-Injurious Behavior) – ranges from minor slapping of hands against the body to serious harm to the self
social cognition – the ability to understand social contexts and respond to them appropriately; autistic individuals demonstrate impaired social cognition
SWPBS (School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports) – [tt]
– T –
Theory of Mind (ToM) – ability to understand and interpret the actions of others; a theory of empathy
– V –
Verbal Behavior Intervention – [tt]
– W –
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) – [diag]
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) – [diag]
WHO (World Health Organization) – [org/diag]