Glossary of terms

Words are powerful.

In order to avoid ambiguity and confusion and to aid consistency in language, the following glossary of key words, terms and phrases has been developed to ensure the words we use are used correctly.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

Ways to communicate other than speech. These might be body movements or gestures, sign language, technology (computers or tablets) or communication books and/or printed materials.

Autistic qualities

Personality and behavioural qualities that are commonly viewed as aspects of the diagnostic criteria for autism as per the diagnostic manuals.

Co-occurring conditions

Co-occurring conditions are when someone has one or more disabilities at the same time. For example, Autistic people may also have a mental health condition and/or an intellectual disability that requires additional support.

Culturally appropriate

Culturally appropriate means being respectful of everyone’s backgrounds, beliefs, values, customs, knowledge, lifestyle and social behaviours and to developing supports and services that understand, are respectful of and are tailored to all cultures.

Deficit-based

Deficit-based approaches focus on perceived weaknesses of individuals or groups and a view that those individuals or groups are a ‘problem.’ This is in contrast to ‘strengths-based’, which focuses on abilities, knowledge and capacity.

Diversity

Any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another. It empowers people by respecting and appreciating what makes them different.

Figurative language

Language that uses words or phrases in ways that deviate from their literal interpretation, with the assumption that this achieves a more complex or powerful effect. Figurative language can be difficult for a range of people to understand as it is culturally specific.

Inclusion

The intentional, ongoing effort to ensure that all people can fully participate in all aspects of life.

Intersectionality

How different aspects of a person’s identity, such as their gender, race, class, sexuality, disability etc., can interact to create experiences of discrimination and marginalisation. Intersectionality helps us to understand how these experiences can overlap and intersect, and how they can be challenged and addressed.

Lived experience

The personal knowledge that a person gains from direct, first-hand involvement with autism.

Masking

Masking, camouflaging, or compensating is when someone suppresses or hides their natural Autistic responses or qualities in order to be accepted or fit in.

Neuro-affirming

A strengths and rights-based approach to supporting individual developmental differences. Neuro-affirming supports respond to a natural variation in human neurology rather than any perception of a deficit that needs to be fixed.

Neurodivergence / Neurodivergent

A non-medical term describing various neurological variations from the dominant societal norm and people with these variations in their neurological development. Neurodivergent, in contrast to ‘neuro-typical’, is used to describe people who may have one or more ways in which their brain functions differently to the “typical” way. Some Autistic people also refer to themselves as neurodivergent.

Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity is the idea all human brains are different and function uniquely. The idea that there is no single right way of thinking, learning, or behaving, rather there is a range of naturally different ways of thinking, learning or behaving.

Neuro-diversity affirming

Similar to ‘neuro-affirming’, neuro-diversity affirming refers to supports, policies and interaction that aim to facilitate the inclusion of and development of neurodivergent individuals in ways that enable authentic ways of thinking, learning and behaving.

Neuro-typical

In contrast to ‘neurodivergent’, neuro-typical is a way to describe individuals with “typical” neurological development. A neurotypical person is someone who may think, perceive, and behave in ways that are considered to be “typical” by the community.

Sensory

The senses of touch, smell, taste, hearing and sight, as well as balance, sense of body in space and internal body awareness. In the context of autism, it can refer to the way an Autistic person processes information from their senses differently – some may have a range of sensory sensitivities, while others may seek out sensory experiences.

Strengths-based

The opposite of ‘deficit-based’. Strengths-based approaches focus on the abilities, knowledge and capacities of an individual or group and works to make them even better, rather than just trying to fix what is lacking.

Universal design

The design of buildings, products, services and/or environments to make them accessible and inclusive for people, regardless of age, disability and/or neurodivergence or other factors. It is a design process that addresses common barriers to participation.