Glossary

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ABC Model(also: Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence, ABC Analysis, ABC Framework)

A behavioural-science framework, rooted in B. F. Skinner's operant conditioning, that analyses any observed behaviour as a three-part sequence: Antecedent (the situation, trigger, or context immediately before the behaviour), Behaviour (what the person actually did), and…

Allistic(also: Non-Autistic)

A term used to describe people who are not autistic, regardless of whether they are neurotypical in other respects. The term was created within autistic communities to provide a specific counterpart to "autistic" that does not frame autism as deviation from a norm. Using…

Applied Behavior Analysis(also: ABA, ABA Therapy)

A therapeutic approach based on behavioral psychology principles that aims to increase desired behaviors and decrease undesired ones through systematic reinforcement. ABA is widely used as an intervention for autistic children, particularly in the United States. While proponents…

Applied Behavioral Analysis(also: ABA, Behavioral Analysis, Behaviour Analysis)

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is a scientific approach to understanding and changing behavior through systematic observation, measurement, and evidence-based intervention. In accessibility and disability contexts, ABA principles — including positive reinforcement, prompting,…

Applied Behavioural Analysis(also: ABA, Applied Behavior Analysis)

A therapeutic approach based on behaviorist principles that uses reinforcement and conditioning to modify behaviour, widely used with autistic children. ABA has become increasingly controversial within the autistic community and among disability scholars. Critics argue that it…

Authorable Virtual Peer(also: AVP)

A life-sized animated virtual character technology designed to support social skills development in children with autism and related disorders. Unlike passive virtual agents, authorable virtual peers allow children to interact in multiple modes: face-to-face conversation,…

Autism Employment Gap(also: Autism Unemployment, Neurodiversity Employment Gap)

The significant disparity in employment rates between autistic adults and the general population. Research indicates only 10-50% of autistic individuals are employed, with just 15-20% in full-time positions despite many having skills and desire to work. Barriers include the job…

Autism Technology(also: Autism Tech, ASD Technology)

Technologies specifically designed for, marketed to, or used by autistic individuals and their support networks. Autism technology spans a wide range including digital therapy platforms, educational apps, data tracking and behavioral monitoring systems, diagnostic computational…

Autistic Agency(also: Autistic Self-Determination, Autistic Autonomy)

The capacity of autistic individuals to make choices, express preferences, direct their own lives, and participate meaningfully in decisions that affect them. Research on autistic agency in technology contexts has found that autistic children and adults are often positioned as…

Autistic Burnout(also: Autistic Fatigue, Neurodivergent Burnout)

A state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion experienced by autistic people, often resulting from the cumulative effect of masking (suppressing autistic traits to appear neurotypical), sensory overload, and the ongoing effort of navigating environments not designed for…

Autistic Joy

A concept articulated by Elliot Wassell and widely discussed in autistic communities describing the intense, absorbing pleasure autistic people can experience in special interests, sensory engagement, deep focus, and preferred modes of working. Autistic joy is typically framed…

Autistic Meltdown(also: Meltdown, Sensory Meltdown)

An autistic meltdown is an intense, involuntary response to overwhelming sensory, emotional, or cognitive overload, during which an autistic person may temporarily lose the ability to regulate their behavior, emotions, or communication. Meltdowns can manifest as crying, shutting…

Autistic Sociality(also: Autistic Social Interaction, Atypical Sociality)

The distinct ways in which autistic people form social connections, build community, and engage in relationships — which differ from neurotypical social norms but are not deficient. Autistic sociality may emphasize shared interests over personal relationships, prefer text-based…

Behavior Rehearsal(also: Behavioral Rehearsal)

Behavior rehearsal is a structured practice technique, introduced by Brownsmith in behavioural psychology and widely used in social-skills training, in which a learner repeatedly practises a target behaviour in simulated scenarios with teacher or therapist guidance and feedback…

Behavioral Intervention(also: Behavior Intervention, Applied Behavior Analysis, ABA)

A systematic approach to understanding and modifying behavior, most commonly applied to support children with autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental conditions. Behavioral intervention uses evidence-based techniques including prompting, reinforcement, cueing, and feedback…

Camouflaging(also: Masking, Social Camouflage, Autistic Masking)

Camouflaging, also known as masking, is the conscious or unconscious suppression of autistic traits and adoption of neurotypical behaviors in order to fit into social situations. This can include forcing eye contact, suppressing stimming, rehearsing social scripts, and imitating…

Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire(also: CAT-Q)

A 25-item self-report questionnaire developed by Hull, Mandy, Lai, Baron-Cohen and colleagues (2019) for adults to self-assess autistic masking (camouflaging) behaviours. Items are rated on a 7-point Likert scale (e.g., "In social situations, I feel like I am pretending to be…

Challenging Behavior(also: Problem Behavior, Behaviors of Concern)

Actions by individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities that pose risks to themselves or others, or significantly interfere with daily activities and learning. In the context of autism, challenging behaviors are often classified into categories such as…

Choice-Making(also: Choice Board, Aided Choice)

A structured communication and learning strategy in which an individual is presented with two or more options and supported to make a selection, often using pictures, objects, or symbols. Choice-making is a foundational skill in autism education and therapy, serving multiple…

Collaborative virtual environment(also: CVE, Shared virtual space)

A computer-based distributed virtual space where multiple users can interact with one another and with virtual objects in real time from separate physical locations. For children with autism, CVEs offer controlled social practice environments that reduce the sensory overload of…

Comic Strip Conversations(also: CSC)

A visual-support technique developed by Carol Gray (1994) for autistic children and adolescents, in which a social interaction is illustrated as a short comic strip with simple stick figures, speech bubbles, thought bubbles, and colour codes for emotion. By externalising who…

Computer Feedback System(also: CFS, Computerized Feedback System)

A technology system that detects a user's behavior — such as vocalizations, movements, or physiological signals — and provides immediate audio, visual, or haptic responses mapped to that behavior. In speech and communication interventions, computer feedback systems translate…

Daily Living Skills(also: Activities of Daily Living, ADLs, Self-Care Skills)

The fundamental self-care tasks that individuals perform routinely, including personal hygiene (tooth-brushing, hand-washing, bathing), dressing, eating, toileting, and basic household tasks. For individuals with disabilities, particularly autism and intellectual disabilities,…

Decreased Sound Tolerance(also: DST, Sound Intolerance)

Decreased sound tolerance (DST) is an umbrella term for conditions in which everyday sounds are perceived as uncomfortably loud, threatening, or emotionally distressing. It encompasses hyperacusis (abnormal sensitivity to sound volume), misophonia (strong emotional reactions to…

Deep Pressure Therapy(also: DPT, Deep Pressure Stimulation, Deep Touch Pressure)

A therapeutic approach that uses firm, distributed tactile pressure — such as from weighted blankets, compression garments, or inflatable vests — to reduce anxiety, stress, and physiological arousal. Deep pressure stimulation activates the parasympathetic nervous system,…

Demand Avoidance(also: Pathological Demand Avoidance, PDA, Persistent Drive for Autonomy)

An inner resistance to perceived demands — even self-imposed ones — that can lead to inability to start, change, or complete tasks. Demand avoidance is associated with an autism profile sometimes called Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) in the UK, and more recently reframed by…

Digital Stimming(also: Digital self-stimulation)

The deliberate, controlled engagement with digital content — typically apps, videos, or sites commonly labeled as 'distracting' — as a self-regulatory or soothing behavior, analogous to physical stimming (repetitive self-soothing actions recognized in neurodivergent…

Discrete Trial Training(also: DTT, Discrete Trial Teaching, Discrete Trial Instruction)

A structured teaching method used primarily with autistic children in which skills are broken down into small, distinct components and taught through repeated, controlled trials. Each trial follows a sequence: a clear instruction or stimulus is presented, the learner responds,…

Echolalia(also: Echoing, Echolalic Speech)

The repetition or echoing of words, phrases, or sounds spoken by others, commonly observed in individuals with autism spectrum disorder and some other developmental conditions. Echolalia can be immediate (repeating something just heard) or delayed (repeating something heard…

Emotion Regulation(also: Affect Regulation, Self-Regulation of Emotion)

The processes by which a person monitors, evaluates, and modifies emotional reactions to achieve goals or meet situational demands — including selecting or changing situations, directing attention, reframing meaning (cognitive reappraisal), and adjusting outward expression.…

Facilitated Communication(also: FC, Supported Typing)

A technique in which a facilitator provides physical support to a person with a communication disability — typically by holding or steadying the person's hand, arm, or wrist — as they point to letters, words, or pictures on a communication board or keyboard. Originally promoted…

Generalization(also: Skill Generalization, Transfer of Learning)

The ability to apply a skill or concept learned in one setting, with one set of materials, or with one person, to new settings, materials, or people. Generalization is a major focus in autism education and therapy because autistic individuals may learn a skill in a specific…

Generative Thinking(also: Generative Cognition, Creative Problem Solving)

Generative thinking is the cognitive ability to spontaneously produce novel ideas, solutions, or approaches to problems without external prompting. In the context of autism and cognitive accessibility, generative thinking is significant because it is often considered impaired in…

Hand-Eye Coordination(also: Visuomotor Coordination, Eye-Hand Coordination)

The ability of the visual system to coordinate information received through the eyes to control and guide hand movements in accomplishing tasks such as writing, catching a ball, or using a touchscreen. Research has shown strong correlations between hand-eye coordination,…

High-Functioning Autism(also: HFA, HFASD)

A historically used term describing individuals with autism spectrum disorder who have average or above-average intellectual abilities and can communicate verbally. The term is now considered outdated by many in the autism community and clinical practice, with DSM-5 replacing…

Improvisational Music Therapy(also: IMT, Creative Music Therapy)

A therapeutic approach in which the therapist and client spontaneously create music together without predetermined structure or composed material. This form of music therapy allows non-verbal communication and emotional expression through musical interaction, making it…

Interaction Framing(also: Narrative Framing, Framing (Interaction Design))

Interaction framing refers to the way a system positions the user's role and the meaning of their input, independent of the underlying mechanics. The same choice can be framed as completing a task ("select the appropriate response") or as taking a meaningful action inside a…

Interoception(also: Interoceptive Awareness)

The sense of the internal state of the body, including perception of heartbeat, breathing, hunger, thirst, temperature, pain, and emotional feelings. Interoception enables people to recognize and respond to their physiological and emotional states. Differences in interoception…

Minimally Verbal(also: Minimally Speaking, Non-Speaking, Limited Verbal)

A term describing individuals who use very few or no spoken words as their primary means of communication, despite potentially having communicative intent. This term is commonly used in autism contexts to describe autistic individuals who may have fewer than 20-30 functional…

Monotropism

A cognitive theory of autism, developed by Dinah Murray, Mike Lesser, and Wenn Lawson, that describes autistic attention as tending to be pulled strongly into a narrow focus (one "attention tunnel") rather than distributed broadly across many concurrent inputs. Monotropism…

Multi-Sensory Environment(also: MSE, Snoezelen, Multisensory Room)

A specially designed space that combines sensory stimuli — such as lighting, sound, textures, and aromas — to provide therapeutic, calming, or stimulating experiences for people with disabilities. Originally developed in the Netherlands under the name Snoezelen, multi-sensory…

Music Therapy

A clinical and evidence-based practice that uses music interventions to accomplish individualized therapeutic goals, including improving communication, social interaction, emotional expression, and motor skills. For people with disabilities, music therapy can be particularly…

Narrative Skills(also: Narrative Competence, Storytelling Skills)

The ability to recount events — real or imagined — as a coherent, temporally ordered, causally linked story that another person can follow. Narrative skills rest on autobiographical memory retrieval, event sequencing, referential clarity (introducing and tracking characters),…

Neuroplasticity(also: Brain Plasticity, Neural Plasticity)

The brain's ability to reorganize its structure and function in response to experience, learning, and environmental stimulation throughout life. Neuroplasticity is a legitimate neuroscience concept, but in autism tech marketing it is often invoked to suggest that technology can…

Noise Sensitivity(also: Auditory Hypersensitivity, Hyperacusis, Sound Sensitivity)

A heightened physiological and emotional response to sounds that others may tolerate without difficulty. Common among autistic individuals and people with other sensory processing differences, noise sensitivity can cause distress, anxiety, and sensory overload in everyday…

Overselectivity(also: Stimulus Overselectivity, Overselective Attention)

A learning challenge in which an individual attends to only one or a few features of a stimulus while ignoring other relevant features, resulting in an inability to discriminate between stimuli that share some characteristics. For example, a child who is overselective might…

Phonophobia(also: Sound Phobia, Ligyrophobia)

Phonophobia is an intense fear or aversion to specific sounds or loud noises that goes beyond simple discomfort, often leading to avoidance behaviors such as fleeing from environments where triggering sounds may occur. Unlike hyperacusis (heightened sensitivity to sound volume)…

Picture Exchange Communication System(also: PECS)

A structured augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system that teaches individuals to use pictures to communicate with others. Developed by Andrew Bondy and Lori Frost in 1985, PECS uses a series of six phases to teach individuals — typically children with autism or…

Pivotal Response Training(also: PRT, Pivotal Response Treatment)

A naturalistic, child-initiated behavioural intervention developed for children with autism that targets "pivotal" skills — foundational abilities whose improvement produces widespread positive changes across social, communication, and academic domains. Unlike highly structured…

Power Cards

Power Cards are a visual teaching strategy developed by Elisa Gagnon for autistic learners and others with social-communication differences. A Power Card is a small, portable card that pairs a brief scenario about a child's special interest (such as a favourite character) with a…