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Glossary

#ActuallyAutistic

This hashtag is used on Twitter by adults on the spectrum to identify conversations about autism by those who experience it firsthand. #ActuallyAutistic

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ABA: Applied Behavior Analysis

Many adults with autism experienced ABA as children. In the past, practitioners often used negative reinforcement to achieve the behaviors they deemed “normal”. For the children, it was often torture. Restraints, electroshock, physical punishment, and other techniques have been a part of ABA treatments. Neurodiverse people ask why the behaviors need to be “normalized”? Does flapping or not making eye contact injure anyone? Or, are those who advocate ABA imposing an unnecessary normalcy upon those on the spectrum? Current treatment focuses on rewards “good” behaviors, but it still remains a burning issue in the adult autistic community. Psychology Today Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a type of therapy that focuses on improving specific behaviors, such as social skills, communication, reading, and academics as well as adaptive learning skills, such as fine motor dexterity, hygiene, grooming, domestic capabilities, punctuality, and job competence. ABA is effective for children and adults with psychological disorders in a variety of settings, including schools, workplaces, homes, and clinics. It has also been shown that consistent ABA can significantly improve behaviors and skills and decrease the need for special services.

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Allistic

Neurotypical, as a specific term for its original purpose within autistic communities, has been replaced by some with allistic, or “nypical”, which has roughly the same meaning that “neurotypical” had originally. (Wikipedia)

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Aspergers Syndrome

Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger’s, is a developmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. As a milder autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it differs from other ASDs by relatively normal language and intelligence. Although not required for diagnosis, physical clumsiness and unusual use of language are common. Signs usually begin before two years old and typically last for a person’s entire life. (Wikipedia) Aspergers Syndrome is a subtype of autism. It is no longer used as a diagnosis. In its original form, it was applied to individual who were able to function in “normal” society, albeit they were often viewed as odd, weird, eccentric, etc.

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Flapping

Hand flapping is usually seen when the child is in a heightened emotional state, such as excited or anxious, and sometimes even upset. … Some children with autism “hand flap” as a self-stimulatory behavior. Other self-stimulatory behaviors sometimes seen in children with autism include rocking and spinning.

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Masking

Masking and camouflaging refer to an autistic person making efforts to “pass” as neurotypical and the stress and exhaustion that result from that. Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley

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Meltdown

Judy Endow, MSW Most young children have tantrums. Typically as they master new skills and become more savvy with expanded communication abilities the tantrums dwindle away. Autistic children have meltdowns and these meltdowns can happen across the life span. For some autistics they never totally disappear. To the casual onlooker an autistic meltdown and a temper tantrum may appear to be the same behavior. It is not. Autistic meltdowns typically occur as a response to being overwhelmed. Sensory overload is one way being overwhelmed occurs, but becoming overwhelmed can happen in many other sorts of situations. Because the processing of the autistic brain often is not in sync with real time, anything from too many choices to not being able to pull up solutions to an in-the-now problem to an intense emotion that is stuck rather than dissipating over time can be triggers for a meltdown. A meltdown can occur across the lifespan and will not stop until the energy is spent. In fact, giving an individual a favored item or promising a special privilege will not stop a meltdown once it has begun. Likewise, withdrawing your attention will not stop the meltdown. In fact, some individuals experiencing meltdowns may not be able to calm themselves even after the meltdown energy is spent. They may need assistance to calm. This is where a learned calming routine comes in handy. Many benefit from a routine for re-engagement in every day life – a way to get back on track after a…

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Neurodiverse

Neurodiversity is an approach to learning and disability that argues diverse neurological conditions are result of normal variations in the human genome. (Wikipedia)

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Neurotypical

Neurotypical or NT, an abbreviation of neurologically typical, is a neologism widely used in the autistic community as a label for people who are not on the autism spectrum. (Wikipedia) Its opposite is Neurodiverse.

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Stimming

Self-stimulatory behavior, also known as stimming and self-stimulation, is the repetition of physical movements, sounds, or repetitive movement of objects common in individuals with developmental disabilities, but most prevalent in autistic people/people with autism spectrum disorders. (Wikipedia)

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