35 terms every autism and disability family should know — therapies, school rights, diagnosis tools, legal protections, and benefits programs explained in plain English.
Applied Behavior Analysis is a therapy based on the science of learning and behavior. It uses techniques like positive reinforcement to encourage helpful b…
A BCBA is a graduate-level clinician certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board to design and supervise ABA therapy programs. BCBAs conduct asse…
Floortime is the applied component of the DIR model created by Dr. Stanley Greenspan. It is a relationship-based therapy where the adult follows the child'…
TEACCH is a structured teaching approach developed at the University of North Carolina that leverages the visual strengths common in autism. The method org…
NDBIs are a class of autism interventions that blend behavioral strategies (from ABA) with developmental approaches in natural settings. Key shared feature…
The Picture Exchange Communication System is a structured communication training protocol that teaches individuals to initiate communication by exchanging …
The Early Start Denver Model is an evidence-based early intervention program for children with autism aged 12 to 48 months. Developed by Sally Rogers and G…
Pivotal Response Treatment targets 'pivotal' areas of development — motivation, self-management, responsiveness to multiple cues, and self-initiation — tha…
Sensory Integration Therapy, developed by occupational therapist A. Jean Ayres, helps individuals who have difficulty processing sensory input — such as to…
Verbal Behavior is an approach to teaching language based on B.F. Skinner's analysis of language functions. Instead of teaching words as labels, VB teaches…
Social Stories are short, individualized narratives that describe a social situation, skill, or concept using specific guidelines developed by Carol Gray. …
An Individualized Education Program is a legally binding document that outlines the special education services, supports, and goals a child with a disabili…
An Individualized Family Service Plan is the early intervention equivalent of an IEP, covering children from birth to age 3 under IDEA Part C. Unlike the I…
A 504 Plan provides accommodations and modifications for students with disabilities in public schools under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. …
Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires public schools to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to children with di…
Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act provides early intervention services for infants and toddlers from birth through age 2 who have d…
Extended School Year services provide special education and related services beyond the regular school year for students whose IEP teams determine they nee…
A Functional Behavior Assessment is a systematic process for understanding why a student engages in challenging behavior. The FBA identifies the function (…
A Behavior Intervention Plan is a written document, based on the results of a Functional Behavior Assessment, that outlines strategies for addressing a stu…
An Independent Educational Evaluation is an assessment conducted by a qualified professional outside the school district. Under IDEA, parents have the righ…
The M-CHAT-R/F is a validated two-stage screening tool for autism in children aged 16 to 30 months. Parents complete a 20-question yes/no checklist about t…
The ADOS-2 is the gold standard semi-structured assessment for diagnosing autism spectrum disorder. Administered by a trained clinician, it consists of a s…
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association, defines the diagnostic…
Echolalia is the repetition of words, phrases, or sentences spoken by others. It is common in autism and occurs in two forms: immediate echolalia (repeatin…
Stimming refers to repetitive movements, sounds, or actions that serve a self-regulatory function. Common examples include hand flapping, rocking, spinning…
Hyperlexia is the ability to read words far above what is expected for a child's age, often emerging before age 3, combined with difficulty understanding s…
Executive function refers to a set of cognitive processes that enable planning, organization, flexible thinking, working memory, self-monitoring, and impul…
Intellectual Disability (ID), formerly called mental retardation, is characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual functioning (reasoning, …
Global Developmental Delay (GDD) is a diagnosis used for children under age 5 who show significant delays in two or more developmental domains — gross or f…
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) describes a condition in which the brain has difficulty receiving, organizing, and responding to sensory input from the e…
Augmentative and Alternative Communication encompasses all methods of communication beyond speech that help people express themselves. AAC ranges from 'low…
Childhood Apraxia of Speech is a motor speech disorder where the brain has difficulty planning and coordinating the precise movements needed for speech. Ch…
Dyspraxia, clinically known as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), is a neurological condition that affects motor planning and coordination. It can …
Core vocabulary refers to a small set of high-frequency words — typically 200 to 400 words — that make up approximately 80% of everything we say in daily c…
Aided Language Stimulation, also called aided language modeling or AAC modeling, is a strategy where communication partners point to symbols on an AAC syst…
High-tech AAC refers to electronic speech-generating devices (SGDs) and tablet-based communication apps that produce spoken output when the user selects sy…
Low-tech AAC encompasses non-electronic communication tools that do not require batteries, charging, or software. Examples include picture exchange systems…
The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act is California's landmark law guaranteeing that people with developmental disabilities — including aut…
Olmstead v. L.C. (1999) is a United States Supreme Court decision that ruled unjustified institutionalization of people with disabilities violates the Amer…
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits state and local government entities from discriminating against people with disabilities in their…
Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in places of public accommodation — businesses a…
An HCBS waiver is a Medicaid program that allows states to provide long-term care services in homes and communities instead of institutions. Authorized und…
The Katie Beckett waiver, also known as TEFRA (Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act) option, allows children with significant disabilities to qualify f…
An ABLE account is a tax-advantaged savings account for individuals with disabilities that began before age 26 (expanded to age 46 under the ABLE Age Adjus…
A Special Needs Trust (SNT) is a legal arrangement that holds assets for a person with a disability without disqualifying them from means-tested government…
Supplemental Security Income is a federal income support program administered by the Social Security Administration that provides monthly cash payments to …
Social Security Disability Insurance is a federal program that pays monthly benefits to individuals who have worked and paid Social Security taxes but can …
Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment is a federal Medicaid benefit for children and young adults under age 21 that requires states to pro…
Money Follows the Person is a federal demonstration program, originally authorized by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 and extended multiple times through…
Community First Choice is a Medicaid state plan option authorized under Section 1915(k) of the Social Security Act (added by the Affordable Care Act in 201…
Self-determination, also called self-direction, is a service delivery model within HCBS waiver and state plan programs that gives individuals with disabili…
Person-centered planning is a federally required approach to developing service plans for individuals receiving HCBS waiver services. Under the 2014 HCBS S…
An Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID) is a Medicaid-funded residential facility that provides ongoing heal…
Respite care provides temporary relief for primary caregivers of individuals with disabilities by arranging substitute care. Respite can be provided in the…
Supported employment helps individuals with disabilities obtain and maintain competitive, integrated employment in the community. A job coach or employment…
Day habilitation programs provide structured daytime activities and skill-building for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are not …
A Direct Support Professional is a frontline worker who provides hands-on support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their …
Assistive technology is any device, equipment, or system — whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized — that is used to increase, maintain, or …
Durable Medical Equipment refers to reusable medical devices prescribed by a physician for use in the home to serve a medical purpose. To qualify as DME un…
Supported living is a residential model where individuals with disabilities live in their own home or apartment (not a group home or facility) with whateve…
Community integration is both a goal and a federally mandated standard for HCBS waiver services. It means that individuals with disabilities participate in…