AUTISM RESOURCES
Autism resources and key terms
Maximum Potential wants to help you and your family navigate your journey with autism and neurodevelopmental challenges. Here, you can find key information and terminology to help understand resources and search terms, and to facilitate conversations with autism professionals.
Autism and Applied Behaviour Analysis come with a lot of specialized language, and it can feel like a lot to take in — especially early on. Use the glossary below to look up foundational terms so you can advocate confidently for your child and follow conversations with professionals. We keep it current as research and terminology evolve.
Search for a term, jump to a letter, or click any row to open its definition.
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Adaptive Skills or Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
Day-to-day self-care skills — dressing, eating, toileting, hygiene — that some children need direct teaching or extra support to build independence in.
Advocacy
Standing up for and actively supporting an individual’s rights and needs.
Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence (ABC) New — please verify
A data collection method that looks at what happened right before a behaviour (the antecedent), the behaviour itself, and what happened right after (the consequence). Tracking ABCs helps a therapist understand what’s triggering and reinforcing a behaviour.
Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)
A scientific field and intervention approach that identifies and shapes behaviour through positive reinforcement, aiming for socially meaningful change. Good ABA is learner-led and builds both foundational learning skills and functional independence across everyday environments.
Asperger Syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger Disorder (AD) or Asperger’s
An autism spectrum diagnosis marked by significant difficulty with social interaction and nonverbal communication, plus restricted or repetitive behaviours and interests. It was retired as a standalone diagnosis in 2013 and folded into autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with a severity scale.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) New — please verify
A neurodevelopmental condition involving ongoing patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity. ADHD frequently co-occurs with autism, and many children benefit from support that addresses both together.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
A term speech-language pathologists use for communication methods beyond speech — picture boards, communication apps on electronic devices, or sign language.
Autism Diagnostic Interview — Revised (ADI-R) New — please verify
A structured interview used during diagnostic assessment, covering developmental history, social interaction, language, play, and repetitive behaviours. It’s typically used alongside the ADOS to build a complete diagnostic picture.
Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) New — please verify
A semi-structured assessment involving guided play and social activities (or interview questions for older individuals) that lets clinicians directly observe communication, social interaction, and repetitive behaviours relevant to an autism diagnosis.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
An umbrella diagnosis covering a wide range of developmental differences in social communication and behaviour patterns — the term most commonly used today for autism.
Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB)
The nonprofit certifying body for behaviour analysts since 1998. Its BCBA-D, BCBA, BCaBA, and RBT credentials are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). Because of Ontario’s regulatory changes, BCBAs practising here must also register with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario (CPBAO) — and BCaBA/RBT credentials cannot be used publicly in the province.
Behaviour Support Plan (BSP) / Behaviour Intervention Plan (BIP)
An individualized plan, usually built by a team — behaviour analysts, special educators, psychologists — together with parents or caregivers, that targets specific behaviours, explains their function, and lays out evidence-based strategies to reduce barriers and teach new skills.
Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)
A graduate-level (Masters) certification in behaviour analysis; BCBA-D is the doctoral-level equivalent. BCBAs practise independently, deliver behaviour-analytic services, and supervise RBTs, BCaBAs, and others carrying out interventions. In Ontario, BCBAs must also be registered with the CPBAO.
College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO)
Regulates the practice of audiology and speech-language pathology in Ontario under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, setting the standards both professions must meet for qualifications, ethics, and ongoing competence.
College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario (CPBAO)
The regulatory college for psychologists, psychological associates, and behaviour analysts in Ontario, responsible for protecting the public by overseeing both professions.
Comprehensive or Intensive Behaviour Intervention (IBI)
An ABA-rooted, highly individualized therapy delivered 1:1, typically at 21+ hours a week, aimed at supporting autistic children across every learning domain. When it includes preschool-aged children, it’s called EIBI (Early Intensive Behaviour Intervention).
Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based Model (DIR/Floortime) New — please verify
An intervention approach, often called DIR/Floortime, that follows a child’s lead during play to build emotional connection, communication, and thinking skills at their own developmental pace.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) New — please verify
The manual clinicians use to diagnose autism and other conditions. Since its fifth edition (2013), separate diagnoses like Asperger’s and PDD-NOS were folded into one umbrella diagnosis: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Discrete Trial Training (DTT) New — please verify
A structured ABA teaching method that breaks a skill into small steps, each taught through a clear instruction, a response, and immediate feedback or reinforcement — often used to build foundational learning and communication skills.
Early Intervention
Therapies and supports for children — usually preschool-aged or younger — experiencing developmental delays. Earlier support generally means better outcomes, and it may be offered through a specialty clinic, treatment centre, health department, or elsewhere.
Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) New — please verify
A play-based early intervention approach for young children that blends ABA principles with developmental and relationship-based strategies, delivered through natural, everyday interactions.
Echolalia
Repeating words or phrases heard previously — common in early language development and in autistic children. It can be immediate (repeating something just said) or delayed (a movie line or song lyric surfacing later), and is often an early attempt at communication.
Executive Functioning New — please verify
The set of cognitive skills that let someone plan, organize, shift between tasks, manage time, and regulate their own behaviour — often an area of support for autistic children and adults.
Extinction New — please verify
Gradually reducing a behaviour by no longer providing the reinforcement that used to follow it. Extinction is used carefully, as part of a broader individualized plan, since a behaviour can temporarily increase before it decreases.
Feeding Disorders
Difficulties that affect nutrition, growth, brain development, and social skills. A team — behaviour analyst, speech-language pathologist, dietician, and physician — is best placed to assess and treat:
- Food refusal
- Picky eating / restricted intake
- Difficulty tolerating certain textures
- Mealtime behaviours that get in the way of eating
Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) New — please verify
An assessment process used to understand why a specific behaviour is happening — what triggers it and what it achieves for the person — before a Behaviour Support Plan is built to address it.
Functional Communication Training (FCT) New — please verify
An ABA strategy that teaches a more effective way to communicate (a word, sign, or picture request) to replace a challenging behaviour that was serving the same purpose.
Generalization New — please verify
A skill’s ability to transfer beyond the exact place, person, or way it was first taught — for example, using a word learned in a therapy room at home or at school too. Planning for generalization is a key part of good ABA programming.
Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC)
A committee that reviews appropriate school placements once a child is enrolled, weighing parent preference alongside the student’s individual needs. A follow-up Review IPRC happens at least once a year after that.
Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
A document that spells out a student’s educational needs and the specific accommodations their school must provide.
Joint Attention New — please verify
Two people sharing focus on the same object or event, usually shown through eye contact, pointing, or gesturing. It’s an early social-communication skill many autism therapies work to build.
Masking / Camouflaging New — please verify
Consciously or unconsciously hiding autistic traits to fit in socially — for example, suppressing stimming or forcing eye contact. Masking can take a real toll on wellbeing, and many clinicians now watch for it and support kids in unmasking safely.
Natural Environment Teaching (NET) New — please verify
Teaching skills during everyday play and routines, rather than only at a table, so learning feels motivating and generalizes more easily to real life.
Neurodivergent / Neurodiverse (ND) New — please verify
Neurodivergent describes an individual whose brain processes, learns, or behaves differently from what’s considered typical (including autistic individuals). Neurodiverse describes a group made up of people with a mix of neurological differences.
Neurotypical (NT) New — please verify
A term for someone whose neurological development and processing are considered typical — in autism conversations, generally used to describe someone who is not autistic.
Occupational Therapy (OT) New — please verify
Therapy that helps build the fine motor, sensory processing, and daily living skills a child needs for school, play, and everyday routines. OTs often work alongside ABA and speech-language teams.
Ontario Autism Program (OAP)
A provincially funded program of supports and services for autistic children and youth in Ontario, available up to age 18 once diagnosed by a qualified professional. AccessOAP handles intake into the program.
Person-first language vs. Identity-first language
Follow the language an individual or their caregiver prefers — whether that’s “a person with autism” (person-first) or “an autistic person” (identity-first). Both are valid; the preference is personal.
Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) New — please verify
A form of AAC in which a person exchanges a picture card for a desired item or activity, building functional communication skills — often a stepping stone toward more complex language.
Pivotal Response Training (PRT) New — please verify
A play-based, learner-led ABA approach that targets pivotal areas of development, like motivation and initiating communication, aiming for broad improvement across many skills rather than one at a time.
Prompting and Prompt Fading New — please verify
Prompting is a cue — verbal, visual, or physical — that helps a child complete a skill correctly. Prompt fading is the gradual removal of that cue as the child becomes able to do the skill independently.
Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) New — please verify
A paraprofessional certification, administered by the BACB, for individuals delivering direct ABA therapy under a BCBA’s supervision. In Ontario, the RBT credential itself can’t be used publicly — the role instead operates under the supervision structure set by the CPBAO.
Reinforcement (Positive and Negative) New — please verify
The core ABA principle of following a behaviour with something that makes it more likely to happen again. Positive reinforcement adds something the person wants (like praise); negative reinforcement removes something unwanted. Neither is the same as punishment.
Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) New — please verify
A parent-delivered approach focused on building flexible social relationships and independent thinking skills, guided by a certified RDI consultant.
Sensory Integration
Therapy aimed at helping children who are over- or under-sensitive to sensory input, sometimes using tools like weighted jackets or swings — though there’s currently no strong scientific evidence supporting general sensory integration therapy or sensory diets.
Sensory Responsiveness / Behaviours
How a person takes in and reacts to sensory input — touch, sound, sight, taste, smell — with responses that can run over-reactive or under-reactive. Sometimes referred to as Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).
Shaping New — please verify
Reinforcing small steps that get closer and closer to a target skill or behaviour, rather than waiting for the whole skill to appear at once.
Sleeping Difficulties
Common alongside an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis. An interdisciplinary team can assess and treat issues such as:
- Inconsistent or poor sleep routines
- Sleep difficulties maintained by attention-seeking patterns
Speech-Language Pathology (SLP)
In Ontario, speech-language pathology covers assessment and treatment of communication, speech, language, voice, swallowing, and fluency. SLPs help autistic individuals build communication, language, play, and social skills.
Stimming
Repetitive movements or sounds, often sensory-based, that are typically self-soothing or enjoyable for the person doing them.
Task Analysis New — please verify
Breaking a bigger skill (like getting dressed) down into its smaller individual steps, so each one can be taught, prompted, and reinforced in order.
Toilet Training Delays
Toilet training that continues past the typical developmental window (around 4–5 years old) is common among children with developmental or neurodevelopmental differences, including autism. Behaviour analysts are often trained to assess readiness and build a toileting intervention plan.
Visual Supports
Pictures, schedules, or symbols used to support understanding and communication — a common evidence-based tool for helping someone learn new skills and function more independently.
FURTHER READING
Resources from around the web
A few trusted places to keep learning, from a video introduction to in-depth reading on diagnosis, programs, and ongoing conversations in the field.
What is the autism spectrum?
What is autism?
Ontario Autism Program
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism support, resources & advocacy
The Controversy Around ABA
Autism & intellectual disability resource hub
Autism Spectrum Disorder resources
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Diagnostic terminology
Family tipsheet: autism resources in the community
Maximum Potential is dedicated to providing compassionate, family-centred and evidence-based care and resources for children with autism and other neurodevelopmental challenges. We offer free virtual or in-person screenings (by appointment) for parents to ask and address questions about their child’s development. The clinic is run by qualified professionals including a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA®) and a speech-language pathologist.