Words to Know

Autism comes with a lot of acronyms and terms. Here is a plain-language list to help you keep up — whether you are a new parent, a caregiver, or just learning.

How to use thisThese are short, everyday explanations — not medical or legal definitions. They are here to help you understand a word when you first hear it. For anything official, check with your doctor, school, or a professional.

THERAPY & SUPPORT

Therapy and support

The kinds of help and the people who provide it.

ABA
Applied Behavior Analysis. A common therapy that teaches skills and works on behaviors through practice and rewards. It is widely used, and also debated within the autistic community — you will hear strong views on both sides.
RBT
Registered Behavior Technician. The person who often does the day-to-day ABA sessions with your child, guided by a BCBA.
BCBA
Board Certified Behavior Analyst. The trained professional who designs and oversees an ABA program.
BCaBA
Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst. Assists the BCBA and has a certification one step below it.
OT
Occupational Therapy. Helps with everyday skills like handwriting, getting dressed, using utensils, and handling sensory needs.
PT
Physical Therapy. Helps with movement, balance, strength, and coordination.
SLP / Speech Therapy
Speech-Language Pathologist. Helps with talking, understanding language, and other ways of communicating.
AAC
Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Tools that help a person communicate without speaking — like a picture board or a tablet that talks.
Early Intervention (EI)
Services for babies and toddlers (usually under age 3) who have delays, to help as early as possible.
Respite Care
Short-term care by someone else so the main caregiver can rest or handle other things.
SCHOOL & LEGAL

School and legal

Words you will hear at school meetings and in special education.

IEP
Individualized Education Program. A written plan for a student in special education that lists their goals and the help the school will give.
IFSP
Individualized Family Service Plan. Like an IEP, but for babies and toddlers in early intervention, and it includes the whole family.
504 Plan
A plan that gives a student accommodations (like extra time on tests) so they can learn alongside everyone else. Different from an IEP.
IDEA
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The federal law that gives kids with disabilities the right to a free, fair public education.
FAPE
Free Appropriate Public Education. The right, under IDEA, to a proper education at no cost to the family.
LRE
Least Restrictive Environment. The idea that a child should learn with non-disabled peers as much as it makes sense for them.
FBA
Functional Behavior Assessment. A study of why a certain behavior happens, used to make a plan to help.
BIP
Behavior Intervention Plan. The written plan that comes out of an FBA, with steps to support better behavior.
ESY
Extended School Year. Special education services during the summer for students who need them to keep their skills.
SPED
Special Education. Teaching designed to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
MEDICAL & DIAGNOSIS

Medical and diagnosis

Terms from doctors and evaluations.

ASD
Autism Spectrum Disorder. The medical name for autism. “Spectrum” means it looks different in every person.
ADHD
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. A common condition (often alongside autism) affecting focus, impulses, and activity level.
SPD
Sensory Processing Disorder. Trouble handling everyday senses — sounds, lights, textures — where they feel too strong or too weak.
DSM-5
The handbook doctors use to diagnose conditions like autism. The “5” is the current edition.
Co-occurring / Comorbid
When a person has more than one condition at the same time (for example, autism and ADHD).
Nonspeaking / Nonverbal
A person who does not use spoken words to communicate. Many nonspeaking people communicate in other ways, such as with AAC. “Nonspeaking” is the term many autistic people prefer.
Twice Exceptional (2e)
A person who is both gifted and has a disability — for example, a gifted child who is also autistic.
SENSORY & BEHAVIOR

Sensory and behavior

Words for how autistic people experience the world and respond to it.

Stimming
Self-stimulating behavior — repeated movements or sounds like hand-flapping, rocking, or humming. It often helps a person feel calm or focused.
Meltdown
A response to feeling completely overwhelmed. It is not a tantrum and not on purpose — it is the body reacting to too much.
Masking
Hiding autistic traits to fit in. It can help someone get by, but it is tiring and can be harmful over time.
Sensory Overload
When the senses take in more than a person can handle, which can lead to stress or a meltdown.
Echolalia
Repeating words or phrases heard before. It can be a way of communicating or processing language.
Elopement
When a person, often a child, wanders or bolts away from a safe spot. A big safety concern for many families.
Special Interest
A topic a person deeply loves and knows a lot about. A source of real joy and focus, not a problem to fix.
Executive Function
The brain's skills for planning, starting tasks, staying organized, and managing time.
Proprioception
The body's sense of where it is in space — how you know where your arms and legs are without looking.
Interoception
The sense of what is happening inside your body — like feeling hungry, thirsty, or needing the bathroom.
MONEY & BENEFITS

Money and benefits (Georgia)

Programs and terms tied to funding and support, several specific to Georgia.

GAPP
Georgia Pediatric Program. A Georgia program that provides in-home nursing and care for medically fragile children under 21.
Katie Beckett
A Medicaid pathway (also called TEFRA) that can qualify a disabled child for Medicaid based on the child's needs, not the parents' income.
Medicaid Waiver
A program that lets people get Medicaid services (often at home or in the community) who might not otherwise qualify.
NOW / COMP Waivers
Two Georgia Medicaid waivers (New Options Waiver and Comprehensive Supports Waiver) that fund community support for people with developmental disabilities. Waitlists are usually long.
SSI
Supplemental Security Income. Monthly payments from the government for people with disabilities and limited income.
Prior Authorization
Approval you often must get from insurance or Medicaid before a service is covered.
COMMUNITY & IDENTITY

Community and identity

Words the autistic community uses about itself.

Neurodivergent
A brain that works differently from what is considered typical — includes autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and more.
Neurotypical
A person whose brain works in the way society considers typical.
Neurodiversity
The idea that brain differences are a natural part of being human, not something broken.
Allistic
A person who is not autistic. (They may still be neurodivergent in another way, like ADHD.)
#ActuallyAutistic
A hashtag and movement where autistic people speak for themselves about their own lives.
Identity-First Language
Saying “autistic person” instead of “person with autism.” Many (not all) autistic people prefer this. When unsure, ask the person.
Self-Advocate
An autistic or disabled person who speaks up for their own needs and rights.
Spoon Theory
A way to explain limited daily energy. You start the day with so many “spoons,” and each task uses some up.
Hyperfocus
Getting so deeply absorbed in something that time and everything else fall away.