This glossary is designed to explain some of the jargon and gobbledygook used by some people when they talk about autism or research.
You may be able to find more information, including links to other parts of this website, by clicking on the title of an item.
If you can’t find the word you are looking for, or you know of a word we should include, please email info@researchautism.net
The fact that an intervention is listed in this glossary does not necessarily mean that we agree with its use. Nor does it necessarily mean that there is any scientifically valid or reliable evidence behind it.
Over time we hope to evaluate each of the interventions listed in this glossary, providing a ranking which tells you the level of scientific evidence which supports or does not support its use. You can find details of the interventions we have already ranked in the List of interventions
Another name for online communities – such as listservs, chatrooms, forums and websites – used by people with autism and others to talk to one another
A programme of activities run by the Emory Autism Resource Center in Georgia, US for or school-age students with autism.
Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention is a highly structured and intense intervention in which a child is taught a range of skills by a team of therapists.
A fusion of the Denver Model and pivotal response training, in which a
multi-disciplinary treatment group devises a personalised treatment plan for each child, which is delivered in the home and elsewhere by the parents of the child.
Parent-focused programme, run by the National Autistic Society in the UK, designed to help parents understand and work with their children
Another name for the NAS EarlyBird Programme, a programme run by the National Autistic Society in the UK which combines group training sessions for parents with individual home visits when video feedback is used to help parents apply what they learn, whilst working with their child.
Another name for the NAS EarlyBird Programme Plus, which is a modified form of the NAS EarlyBird programme, designed to meet the needs of families whose child has received a later diagnosis.
Alternative spelling for echolia, which means repeating words or sounds, usually over and over, without necessarily understanding their meaning.
Repeating words or sounds, usually over and over, without necessarily understanding their meaning.
Involuntary repetition or imitation of the observed movements of another person. Even though it is considered a tic, it is a behaviour characteristic of some people with autism.
Acronym for Electro-Convulsive Therapy, a treatment in which seizures are induced by passing electricity through the brain of an anaesthetised individual.
Another term for EDTA, a synthetic solution used as a chelating agent to remove heavy metals from the body.
Drug used to treat a condition called hypercalcemia, in which there is too much calcium in the blood. If given by mistake, can produce hypocalcemia, in which there is not enough calcium in the blood.
Another term for EDTA, a synthetic solution used as a chelating agent to remove heavy metals from the body.
Acronym for Ethylene-Diamine-Tetra-Acetic Acid, a synthetic solution used as a chelating agent to remove heavy metals from the body.
Another term for neuro-feedback, a form of biofeedback.
Another name for Biofeedback, a range of therapies in which individuals are taught to control their own physiological functions such as heart rate, muscle tension, and brain waves
Acronym for essential fatty acids – polyunsaturated fatty acids that cannot be created within the human body and must therefore be obtained from the diet.
Acronym for Emotional Freedom Technique, a therapy that involves placing physical pressure on different acupuncture points on the surface of the body
A type of omega 3 fatty acid ingested in some foodstuffs such as fish oil.