Vocabulary
Stay up to date with our community’s vocabulary and the terms required to navigate a changing world. Access to the right terms to describe one’s experience is essential for understanding, adaptation, and thriving.
A
- Ableism - Actions, words, assumptions, and ignorance based in the notion that non-disabled-bodied and/or disabled-minded ways of moving, communicating, behaving, and existing are superior to disabled ways. Learn more about ableism and how to overcome it here.
- Allistic - Refers to individuals who do not engage or experience the world through Autism; non-Autistic people. Allistic individuals can still be neurodivergent.
- Aspie - Another word for an Autistic person.
- AuDHD - Pronounced awe-dee-ach-dee; another word for an ADHD and Autism comorbidity.
- Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) - The preferred term to Asperger’s and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
B
- Bi-tism - The experience of being both bisexual and Autistic.
C
- Calendar Fragmentation - Refers to the inefficient organization of scheduled activities, leading to a disjointed and fragmented schedule. This means that the total amount of time available for focused work or deep thinking is significantly reduced due to numerous, short bursts of time scattered throughout the day (Craft 2019). Learn more here.
D
- The Theory of Diachronic Constitution of the Extended Conscious Mind - TBD
G
- Gaytism - Describes the experience of being gay and Autistic.
- Genetic Discrimination - Discrimination based on genetic characteristics.
M
Medical Model - This model of disability views disability as a problem inherent to the individual, typically focusing on the impairments or medical conditions that individuals have. In this model, disability is seen as something to be treated or cured through medical intervention, and the emphasis is on fixing the individual to fit into society’s norms. This approach often leads to viewing disabilities as limitations or deficits that need to be overcome, rather than considering the cultural and environmental institutions that may contribute to disabling experiences.
The Social Model - Contrary to the medical model, this model of disability underscores that disability does not stem merely from an individual’s impairments, but also arises from broader structural factors like culture and environmental circumstances. According to this perspective, disability emerges from both biological factors and cultural factors between individuals and their surroundings. The social model suggests that achieving accessibility involves not only medical interventions but also societal efforts to embrace diversity and learn to value and leverage the strengths derived from differences and thinking differently.
N
- Neurodivergent - Also known as being neuroqueer or a neurominority. Represents ~20% of the population. See our explainer here.
- Neurogender - A gender and gender expression identity which cannot be otherwise disentangled from one’s neurology.
- Some neurodivergent individuals’ feel that their experience with socialization of their disability that their gender identity is most accurately described through a disability lens (e.x. Autism and Autigender Autiboy, Autienby, etc.).
- Neurotypical - The term for someone who is not a neurominority/neurodivergent/neuroqueer/.
R
- Respectability Politics - “A set of beliefs holding that conformity to prescribed mainstream standards of appearance and behaviour will protect a person who is part of a marginalized group… from prejudices and systemic injustices: Respectability politics place blame on groups already hindered by discrimination.”
S
- Speechie - A speech and language therapist/pathologist.
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