Autism Glossary
Clear, practical definitions of the key terms used to understand autism — from the science to everyday life.
A
ASD — Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication an…
See definition →Asperger's Syndrome
Asperger's Syndrome was an official DSM-IV (1994-2013) diagnosis for people with autistic traits but no significant dela…
See definition →Autistic Burnout
Autistic burnout is a state of profound exhaustion that occurs when cumulative demands exceed an autistic person's resou…
See definition →AAC — Augmentative and Alternative Communication
AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) covers every communication method beyond speech — or that supplements s…
See definition →ABA — Applied Behavior Analysis
ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) is an approach based on principles of behavior analysis that uses positive reinforcement…
See definition →Alexithymia
Alexithymia is difficulty identifying, naming, and describing one's own emotions — the person feels something but has tr…
See definition →Autistic Catatonia
Autistic catatonia is a movement and behavior condition that can show up as: immobility, rigid posture, extreme slowness…
See definition →ASD Diagnosis
An ASD diagnosis is clinical — there's no blood test or imaging scan that confirms it. It's made by a multidisciplinary …
See definition →Autism Support Levels (1, 2, 3)
The DSM-5 describes three support levels for ASD — describing how much support a person needs for social communication a…
See definition →I
Interoception
Interoception is the internal sense that perceives the state of one's own body — heart rate, temperature, pain, hunger, …
See definition →IEP — Individualized Education Program
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a legal document that lays out specific educational goals, accommodations, …
See definition →M
Meltdown
A meltdown is an involuntary response to overload — sensory, cognitive, or emotional — in which emotional regulation tem…
See definition →Masking (Autistic Camouflaging)
Masking is the process of suppressing, disguising, or compensating for autistic traits in order to appear neurotypical i…
See definition →Monotropism
Monotropism is a theory proposed by Dinah Murray, Mike Lesser, and Wenn Lawson, which holds that autism is fundamentally…
See definition →S
Stimming (Self-Stimulatory Behavior)
Stimming is short for "self-stimulatory behavior" — repetitive behaviors that include rocking, hand flapping, jumping, s…
See definition →Shutdown
A shutdown is the internal response to overload — the external opposite of a meltdown. Instead of exploding outward, the…
See definition →Sensory Integration
Sensory integration is the neurological process by which the brain organizes and interprets sensory information from mul…
See definition →Sensory Diet
A sensory diet is an individualized plan of sensory activities strategically built into the day, aimed at helping the ne…
See definition →Self-Advocacy in Autism
Self-advocacy is the ability to understand and communicate one's own needs, preferences, and rights, and to advocate for…
See definition →T
Theory of Mind
Theory of mind (ToM) is the ability to understand that other people hold beliefs, desires, intentions, and perspectives …
See definition →The Double Empathy Problem
The double empathy problem is a concept proposed by autistic researcher Damian Milton (2012), which holds that communica…
See definition →Twice-Exceptional (2e)
Twice-exceptional (2e) refers to individuals who show both high intellectual ability or exceptional talent and a neurode…
See definition →Understanding is the first step
Balanced Mind puts this knowledge into practice with tools built for the autistic mind.