• ABA = Applied Behavioural Analysis, a popular therapy sometimes used with autistic children
• AC = Autistics and cousins, people with autistic spectrum disorders and related disorders.
• AS = Asperger's Syndrome
• ASA = Autism Society of America
• ASD = Autistic Spectrum Disorder (includes Asperger's Syndrome and PDD-NOS)
• Aspie = Person with Asperger's Syndrome
• Autie = Person with classical autism
• DTT = Discrete Trial Training. A behaviour modification technique also known as "Lovaas", after the doctor that developed it.
• "Floor Time" = A play based therapy based on cognitive principles.
• HFA = High Functioning Autistic
• LFA = Low Functioning Autistic (a term disliked on the newsgroup)
• NAS = National Autistics Society (UK)
• NT = Neuro-typical, people who do not have an ASD (ie "normal", but without the implied value judgement).
• PDD-NOS = Pervasive Developmental Disoder Not Otherwise Specified, an atypical form of autism
• PECS = Picture Exchange Communication System
• "perserveration" = an interest or behaviour that is intense and repetitive, the word is from the same root as "perseverance".
• "Savant skills" = abilities which are acquired without deliberate teaching or study, such as music, art or mathematics. They are markedly above the abilities of most people and much more advanced than the person's overall IQ. Although associated with people with an otherwise low, testable IQ, people of any IQ can have savant skills.
• "stim" = self-stimulatory behaviour; repetetive motor or vocal mannerisms engaged in by people with ASDs. They are usually used to either calm or excite the nervous system and often as a response to strong emotion.

Originally compiled by Anna Hayward on behalf of the alt.support.autism newsgroup, November 2000. Original site design and HTML by Kalen Molton. Please address any general queries to Mike Stanton. Broken links and problems of a technical nature should be addressed to John Muggleton by entering details in the comments box of the form here. Any opinions expressed in this article are personal and should not be construed as medical advice. We are not representatives of any of the companies discussed, nor do we receive any form of commission.

The latest version of this faq is at www.mugsy.org/asa_faq