Autism, school and funding glossary for Canadian parents
Plain-English meanings of 68 terms you may hear from doctors, therapists, daycares, schools and provincial programs. Where a term is disputed, we say so.
A
- AAC (augmentative and alternative communication)
- AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) means any way of communicating that adds to or replaces speech, such as signs, gestures, pictures, communication books and boards, and apps or devices that speak. Speech-Language & Audiology Canada says there are no prerequisites for a person to be considered for AAC. Research suggests AAC does not hold back speech, and it works best when the adults around a child use it too.
- ABA (applied behaviour analysis)
- ABA (applied behaviour analysis) uses observation, prompts and rewards to teach skills and change behaviour, from small everyday supports to intensive programs. It is part of several public programs in Canada: in Ontario, for example, Ontario Autism Program core clinical services funding can pay for ABA. Views are strongly divided. Some families value it, while many autistic adults object to goals such as training compliance or stopping harmless stims. Ask any provider which goals they set, and who chooses them.
- AccessOAP
- AccessOAP is the independent intake organization for the Ontario Autism Program. Families register their child through it once they have a written autism diagnosis. Its care coordinators answer questions and help families understand their options, and it invites children to core clinical services, issues funding and checks expenses. Children are invited to core clinical services in the order they registered, so it helps to register as soon as the diagnosis letter arrives.
- ADHD
- ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects attention, activity levels and impulse control. It often occurs alongside autism: a review of 96 studies found ADHD in about 28% of autistic people of all ages. A child can have both, and having one diagnosis does not rule out the other, so it is worth raising concerns about attention with your child's doctor.
- Aided language modelling
- Aided language modelling means an adult pointing to words on a child's AAC system while talking, so the child sees how it is used, without asking the child to copy. A 2018 review of 28 studies found it highly effective for both understanding and expression. A common way to start is to model one or two key words, such as 'more' or 'go', many times a day during play and routines.
- Alexithymia
- Alexithymia means difficulty noticing, naming and describing your own feelings. It is common but not universal in autistic people: a review of 15 studies, mostly of adults, found it in about half of autistic participants, compared with about 5% of others. This is one reason feelings tools for children often include body-based choices, such as 'my body feels fast', and an 'I don't know' option.
- Autism
- Autism is a lifelong difference in how a person's brain develops, affecting how they communicate, relate to other people and experience the world, including through their senses. Canadian assessment reports usually call it autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the name used in the DSM-5 manual. The Public Health Agency of Canada describes autism as a neurodevelopmental condition, not a chronic disease. In health records for 2023 to 2024, about 1 in 44 children and youth aged 1 to 19 had an autism diagnosis.
- Autistic burnout
- Autistic burnout is deep, long-lasting exhaustion that builds up when demands stay too high for too long. In a Toronto study, autistic children and youth described burnout as ongoing tiredness, losing skills they had, and coping less well with sensory input such as noise. Children may need more rest, fewer demands and time to recover. Any loss of skills should still be checked by your family doctor or pediatrician.
C
- Canada Disability Benefit
- The Canada Disability Benefit is a federal monthly payment for working-age adults aged 18 to 64 who are approved for the Disability Tax Credit and have filed their taxes. It pays up to $204.20 a month for July 2026 to June 2027, depending on income. It is not the Child Disability Benefit, although both are shortened to CDB. A young person can apply up to 6 months before turning 18, and the application is processed once they turn 18.
- CDB (Child Disability Benefit)
- The Child Disability Benefit (CDB) is a tax-free monthly federal payment for families caring for a child under 18 who is approved for the Disability Tax Credit. For July 2026 to June 2027 it pays up to $3,480 a year ($290 a month) per child, reduced when adjusted family net income is above $82,847. It comes with the Canada Child Benefit, and the Canada Revenue Agency works out back payments for the two previous benefit years automatically. It is not the adult Canada Disability Benefit.
- Choice board
- A choice board shows a small number of real options as pictures, such as snacks, toys or activities, so a child can choose by pointing, touching or handing over a picture. Offering real choices gives children some control over their day, and in a small early study, being offered choices reduced distressed behaviour. Adding 'break' and 'help' gives a child a way to ask for those too.
- Co-occurring conditions
- Co-occurring conditions are other conditions that happen alongside autism, such as ADHD, anxiety, learning disabilities, epilepsy, sleep problems and gut problems like constipation. They are common: in Canada's 2019 national survey, 68.7% of autistic children and youth had at least one other long-term health condition, most often ADHD, a learning disability or an anxiety disorder. Pain or illness can show up as a change in behaviour, so health checks come first.
- Co-regulation
- Co-regulation is when a calm, trusted adult helps a child manage big feelings by lending them their own calm, through a steady voice, few words, closeness and comfort. Researchers see parent and child co-regulation as a key way young children learn to manage their own emotions over time, although research with young autistic children is still limited. It comes before, and helps build, self-regulation.
- Core vocabulary
- Core vocabulary is the small set of words people use most often in lots of situations, such as 'more', 'go', 'stop', 'help' and 'not'. AAC boards built on core words let a child say many different things with a few words. In one study, keeping each word in the same place on the board helped young children find words faster, so it helps if words do not move as the board grows.
D
- Demand avoidance
- Demand avoidance means resisting or avoiding everyday requests and expectations, sometimes even for things a child wants to do. Research links it to anxiety and a strong need for certainty: in a survey about 214 children and young people, finding uncertainty hard to bear predicted controlling behaviour and meltdowns. An extreme pattern is sometimes called PDA, but PDA is not a diagnosis in the DSM-5 manual that Canadian assessments use, and research on it is limited.
- Developmental pediatrician
- A developmental pediatrician is a children's doctor with extra training in how children develop, learn and behave, including autism and other developmental differences. In Ontario, developmental pediatricians are among the professionals who can diagnose autism, along with family physicians, pediatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, psychological associates and nurse practitioners. A family doctor or pediatrician can refer you. Visits are usually covered by provincial health insurance, but waits can be long.
- DSM-5 support levels
- DSM-5 support levels describe how much support an autistic person needs, rated separately for social communication and for restricted or repetitive behaviours: level 1 'requiring support', level 2 'requiring substantial support' and level 3 'requiring very substantial support'. Many Canadian assessment reports include them. They can be hard to judge in very young children, and they are a guide to support needs, not a label for your child.
- DTC (Disability Tax Credit)
- The Disability Tax Credit (DTC) is a federal non-refundable tax credit for people with a severe and prolonged impairment, and a supporting family member, such as a parent, can claim it. A medical practitioner certifies Form T2201. Autism does not qualify automatically: the Canada Revenue Agency looks at how much the impairment limits everyday functions, for at least 12 months. DTC approval is also needed for the Child Disability Benefit and for RDSP grants and bonds.
- Duty to accommodate
- The duty to accommodate is the legal duty, under provincial and territorial human rights laws, for services such as child care centres and schools to change rules, practices or supports so a person with a disability can take part, up to the point of undue hardship. In Ontario, undue hardship is judged only on cost, outside sources of funding, and health and safety requirements, and the Ontario Human Rights Commission says the duty covers daycares.
E
- EA (educational assistant)
- An educational assistant (EA) is a school staff member who works under a teacher's direction to support students, often those with special education needs, for example with learning tasks, communication, personal care such as toileting, and staying safe and calm. Schools and school boards decide how EA time is shared out. In Alberta, for example, inclusive education funding is not based on students' special education codes: school authorities distribute it based on students' needs.
- ECE (early childhood educator)
- An ECE (early childhood educator) is a trained educator who works with young children in child care and, in some provinces, kindergarten. In Ontario, ECEs must be registered with the College of Early Childhood Educators and are called RECEs. B.C. and Alberta certify ECEs, and B.C. also has a special needs early childhood educator certificate.
- Echolalia
- Echolalia is repeating words or phrases heard before, either right away (immediate echolalia) or later (delayed echolalia), such as lines from a favourite video or song. The Hanen Centre, a Toronto not-for-profit, says echolalia often has a purpose or message: a child may use an echo to ask for something, protest or join in, or to soothe themselves or rehearse. Responding to the meaning behind the words is recommended, rather than trying to stop it.
- Exclusion (Ontario schools)
- In Ontario, an exclusion is when a principal refuses to admit a student to the school or classroom under section 265(1)(m) of the Education Act, because in the principal's judgment the student's presence would be detrimental to the physical or mental well-being of the pupils. It is not a suspension or an expulsion, and the decision can be appealed to the school board.
F
- First-Then board
- A First-Then board is a simple visual support with two spaces: 'first', a picture of what is happening now, and 'then', a picture of what comes next. It makes the next step predictable, which can help a child move from one activity to another. It works best when the 'then' is something achievable, sometimes something the child has chosen, and when the board is used to show what is happening, never as a threat.
- Focused interests
- Focused interests are topics or activities an autistic person cares about intensely, such as trains, dinosaurs, maps or a favourite TV series. Many autistic people prefer this term to 'special interests', which some find patronizing. Interests can be a source of joy, calm and learning, and building them into play and learning often helps. They should never be taken away as a punishment.
- FSCD (Family Support for Children with Disabilities, Alberta)
- FSCD (Family Support for Children with Disabilities) is an Alberta government program that helps families with some of the extra costs of raising a child with a disability, such as respite, counselling, child care supports and aides, and specialized services for children with severe disabilities. Your child must be under 18 and live in Alberta, and you can apply with medical documentation showing a disability or that your child is awaiting a diagnosis. Waits of two to three years or more have been reported.
- Functional behaviour assessment (FBA)
- A functional behaviour assessment (FBA) is a structured way of working out why a behaviour, such as hitting or self-injury, is happening: what comes before it, what follows it and what need it meets. The person doing it observes and records, forms an idea of the reason and tests it, so that support can meet the need in a safer way. A 2020 US review of autism research counted FBA among 28 evidence-based practices.
G
- Gestalt language processing
- Gestalt language processing is a popular idea that some children learn language in whole chunks, such as phrases from shows, before breaking them into single words. It is usually linked to a six-stage approach called Natural Language Acquisition. A 2025 systematic review found no studies testing whether approaches based on it work, and other researchers dispute its theory. Responding to the meaning of a child's echoes is still good practice.
I
- Identity-first language
- Identity-first language puts the identity first, as in 'autistic child', rather than person-first language such as 'child with autism'. Autism Ontario's language statement cites a survey of more than 7,000 autistic people in which about 90% preferred identity-first language. The Public Health Agency of Canada writes 'Autistic' with a capital A, while some health services still use person-first language. As your child grows, follow their own preference.
- IEP (Individual Education Plan)
- An IEP (Individual Education Plan) is a written plan for a student who needs special education programs or services. In Ontario it must set out specific expectations for the student, the program and services they will get, and how progress will be reviewed, and parents must be consulted. After an IPRC places a student, the IEP must be done within 30 school days, and school boards may also write IEPs without an IPRC. B.C. also uses IEPs; Alberta uses IPPs.
- Intellectual disability
- An intellectual disability means a person has more difficulty with learning, reasoning and problem-solving, and with everyday life skills, than most people of the same age, starting in childhood. Some autistic children have one and many do not: in US data on 8-year-olds, 39.6% of autistic children with IQ data had an intellectual disability. UK websites often call this a learning disability, but in Canada a learning disability usually means a specific difficulty with skills such as reading or math.
- Interoception
- Interoception is the sense that tells you what is happening inside your body, such as hunger, thirst, feeling hot or cold, needing the washroom, pain or illness, and the body signs of feelings, like a racing heart. Autistic children may notice these signals more or less strongly than other children, which can affect eating, toilet training and telling you that something hurts.
- IPP (Individualized Program Plan, Alberta)
- An IPP (Individualized Program Plan) is Alberta's written plan for a student with special education needs. It sets out the student's learning goals and the teaching strategies and supports they need to reach them, drawing on information such as specialist assessments. Alberta's 2026/27 school funding manual says an IPP, or an Instructional Support Plan (ISP), is mandatory for every child or student identified as having special education needs, including gifted students. Ontario and B.C. use IEPs instead.
- IPRC (Identification, Placement and Review Committee)
- An IPRC (Identification, Placement and Review Committee) is an Ontario school board committee that decides whether a student is 'exceptional', meaning they need a special education program, which category of exceptionality applies, and an appropriate placement, from a regular class with support to a special education class. Once your child is enrolled, you can ask the principal in writing for an IPRC, and the request cannot be refused. The decision is reviewed at least once a school year, and parents can appeal.
J
- JK and SK (junior and senior kindergarten)
- JK (junior kindergarten) and SK (senior kindergarten) are the two years of Ontario's free kindergarten program, for 4 and 5 year olds. In kindergarten classes with more than 16 children, a teacher and an early childhood educator work together as a team. Children must attend school from September of the year they turn 6. Other provinces have different kindergarten ages and names, so check with your province or school board.
- Joint attention
- Joint attention is when two people share attention on the same thing just to share the interest, for example when a child points at a dog, then looks at you to check you saw it too. Pointing at a cookie to ask for it is a request, not joint attention. The Hanen Centre notes that autistic children often find joint attention harder, especially starting it, and that it is one of the earliest signs of social communication differences.
M
- Masking (camouflaging)
- Masking, also called camouflaging, is when an autistic person hides or makes up for autistic traits to fit in, for example by copying other people, rehearsing what to say or holding back stims. Autistic adults have described the constant effort of masking as a cause of autistic burnout. A child who masks may seem settled at school or daycare but come home exhausted and need time to recover.
- Meltdown
- A meltdown is an intense, involuntary response to feeling completely overwhelmed, when a person temporarily loses control of what they say or do. It can involve shouting, crying, kicking or lashing out. It is not a tantrum or bad behaviour. In a Toronto study, autistic children and youth said meltdowns happened more often than burnout or shutdown, and that adults often misunderstood them. Safety, space, quiet, few words and time to recover help.
- Minimally speaking
- Minimally speaking describes a child or adult who uses few spoken words or phrases, or cannot rely on speech alone to communicate. There is no agreed definition. A Cochrane review notes that about 25% to 30% of autistic children do not develop functional spoken language or stay minimally speaking, although many late talkers go on to use phrases. Signs, pictures and AAC give a child other ways to communicate now.
N
- NDBI (naturalistic developmental behavioural intervention)
- NDBIs (naturalistic developmental behavioural interventions) are play-based approaches that combine developmental and behavioural methods. An adult follows the child's lead in everyday play and routines and builds in chances to communicate, and parents are often coached to use the strategies at home. JASPER and the Early Start Denver Model are examples. A 2023 review of trials with autistic children under 8 found small positive effects on social communication.
- Neurodivergent
- Neurodivergent describes a person whose brain develops or works differently from what is typical, such as an autistic person or a person with ADHD. The word for people who are not neurodivergent is neurotypical. Many autistic people use these words to describe autism as a natural difference in how people think and experience the world, rather than something to be fixed.
- Non-speaking
- Non-speaking describes a person who does not use spoken words to communicate, or uses very few. It does not mean they cannot understand or have nothing to say: in a 2024 study, 31 autistic teenagers and adults who spoke little or not at all showed signs of knowing how words are spelled. Some families and services still say nonverbal, but non-speaking is increasingly used because not speaking is not the same as not understanding.
O
- OAP (Ontario Autism Program)
- The Ontario Autism Program (OAP) is Ontario's program for autistic children and youth. To register, a child must be under 18, live in Ontario and have a written autism diagnosis from a qualified professional; families register through AccessOAP. Registered families can use free services, such as foundational family services and the entry to school program, and are invited to core clinical services funding in order of registration, which often takes years.
- One-page profile
- A one-page profile is a short, positive summary of a child on a single page: their strengths, what matters to them, how they communicate and what helps them feel safe and calm. Families share it with daycare staff, teachers, educational assistants, coaches and new professionals so people can understand and support the child well from the start.
- OT (occupational therapist)
- An occupational therapist (OT) helps people take part in everyday activities such as dressing, eating, play, toileting and school work. For autistic children, an OT may look at sensory needs, movement skills and daily routines and suggest practical changes at home, daycare or school. OTs are regulated provincially: in Ontario, you can check an OT on the public register of the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario.
P
- PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System)
- PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) is a structured, trademarked program in which a child learns to hand a picture to a person to ask for something, then builds up to sentences, answering questions and commenting. It is one of several picture-based kinds of AAC. In a UK trial with 84 elementary school children, teacher training in PECS increased children's communication attempts at first, but the gains were not maintained once active support ended.
- Positive behaviour support (PBS)
- Positive behaviour support (PBS) is an approach that tries to understand why a child is distressed or at risk of harming themselves or others, then changes their surroundings, routines, communication and support so their needs are met, rather than relying on punishment. It usually starts with a functional behaviour assessment. Schools may use a school-wide version: Alberta, for example, lists positive behaviour supports among its inclusive education resources.
- Proprioception
- Proprioception is the body-position sense: knowing where your body is and how it is moving without looking, using signals from muscles and joints. Some autistic children seek lots of this input, such as heavy pressure, tight hugs, jumping or crashing into cushions, and some find it calming. Others may seem clumsy or use too much force because these signals are harder for them to read.
- PUF (Program Unit Funding, Alberta)
- PUF (Program Unit Funding) is Alberta government funding for early childhood services programs, including kindergarten, to support children with a severe disability or severe language delay. It is paid to the school authority, not to parents. A child can be included from age 2 years 8 months, for up to three years including kindergarten, after a qualified professional assesses the disability or delay. A related grant covers moderate language delay.
R
- RBA (Registered Behaviour Analyst)
- In Ontario, a Registered Behaviour Analyst (RBA) is a behaviour analyst registered with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario. Since July 1, 2024, behaviour analysts practising applied behaviour analysis (ABA) in Ontario must be registered with the College, so they must meet its standards and you can look them up on its public register. Rules for behaviour analysts differ in other provinces.
- RDSP (Registered Disability Savings Plan)
- An RDSP (Registered Disability Savings Plan) is a long-term savings plan for a person approved for the Disability Tax Credit. The federal government can add grants of up to $3,500 a year, to a lifetime limit of $70,000, depending on contributions and family income, and bonds of up to $1,000 a year, to a limit of $20,000, for lower-income families with no contribution needed. Unused grants and bonds from the past 10 years can be caught up (2026 figures).
- Respite
- Respite is a short break for parents and caregivers while someone else looks after your child, from a few hours to a weekend. Provincial programs can help pay for it. In Ontario, for example, Special Services at Home can reimburse respite and other support for children under 18 with a physical or developmental disability, but it is discretionary, so funding depends on available resources.
S
- S-LP (speech-language pathologist)
- A speech-language pathologist (S-LP or SLP) assesses and supports communication, including understanding, talking, social communication, AAC, and eating and swallowing. S-LPs are regulated provincially, for example by the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario. In Ontario, the Preschool Speech and Language Program serves children from birth until they start school, and you do not need a doctor's referral.
- Self-regulation
- Self-regulation is a person's ability to notice and manage their own feelings, energy and behaviour, for example by moving, breathing slowly, taking a break or stimming. It develops gradually, usually after lots of co-regulation with trusted adults. Autistic children may self-regulate in ways that look different: in a 2019 study, autistic adults described stimming as a way to soothe themselves and express intense feelings.
- Sensory overload
- Sensory overload is when there is more sensory input, such as noise, bright light, crowds, smells or touch, than a person can cope with, leading to intense distress. Signs can include covering ears, running away or hiding, crying or shouting, more stimming, or going very quiet. Sensory overload can lead to a meltdown or shutdown, so lowering noise and other input early can help.
- Sensory processing differences
- Sensory processing differences are differences in how a person notices and reacts to sounds, lights, textures, smells, tastes, movement and body signals. A child can be over-sensitive to some things and under-sensitive to others, for example covering their ears at a hand dryer but seeking tight hugs. Over- or under-sensitivity to sensory input is one of the possible features of autism in the DSM-5 criteria used in Canadian assessments.
- SERT (special education resource teacher)
- In Ontario, a special education resource teacher (SERT) is a teacher with special education qualifications who supports students with special education needs, their classroom teachers and families. Ontario's special education guide says a special education teacher monitors a student's progress against their IEP, changes the program as needed and helps with educational assessments. The SERT is often a good first contact about support at school. Other provinces may say resource teacher.
- Shutdown
- A shutdown is a quieter response to overwhelm, when an autistic person freezes, withdraws, stops talking or seems unable to move or respond. In a study of 86 autistic adults, people described shutdowns as being frozen or like a computer crashing. A child in a shutdown is not ignoring you or being difficult. Quiet, time and no pressure to talk or answer questions are sensible responses.
- Special Needs Resourcing (SNR)
- Special Needs Resourcing (SNR) is Ontario funding that helps children with special needs take part in licensed child care, including home child care. Municipal and district service managers use it for resource consultants, extra staff, training and equipment, at no extra cost to families. Ontario's funding guidelines describe a class-wide approach that does not separate or exclude children.
- Speech-generating device
- A speech-generating device is a tablet app or dedicated device that speaks words aloud when a person touches pictures, words or letters. It is one kind of high-tech AAC. In Ontario, the Assistive Devices Program pays 75% of the cost of an approved communication aid, or 100% for families receiving Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities. For a first application, a family doctor or nurse practitioner refers you to an ADP-registered speech-language pathologist or occupational therapist for an assessment.
- Stimming
- Stimming, short for self-stimulatory behaviour, means repeated movements or sounds such as hand-flapping, rocking, spinning, humming or touching textures. In a 2019 study of 32 autistic adults, people described stimming as a way to soothe themselves and to express intense feelings, and objected to treatment that aims to stop it. Harmless stims do not need to be stopped; only stims that cause injury need a safer alternative.
- Supported Child Development (SCD)
- Supported Child Development (SCD) is a B.C. program that offers consulting and support services to children who need extra support, their families and their child care centres, so the child can take part in child care. A diagnosis is not required, and families or child care providers may refer a child. Aboriginal Supported Child Development (ASCD) offers this help in a culturally responsive way.
T
- Transition
- A transition is a change from one activity, place or stage to another, from turning off the TV for supper to starting kindergarten. Transitions are often hard for autistic children. A 2026 review of 19 experiments found that advance warnings alone were often not enough, especially when moving from something liked to something less liked. Showing what comes next and having something worth moving to can help.
V
- Vestibular sense
- The vestibular sense is the sense of balance and movement, based in the inner ear, which tells you whether you are moving, how fast and which way up you are. Some autistic children seek lots of movement, such as spinning, swinging or rocking, while others find some movement, like swings or car rides, uncomfortable or frightening.
- Visual schedule
- A visual schedule is a row or list of pictures, symbols or words showing the order of activities for part or all of a day. It helps a child know what to expect and see changes before they happen. A 2015 review of 31 studies concluded that visual activity schedules are an evidence-based practice for autistic people, especially when adults also teach how to use them. Start with a few steps and let your child mark each one finished.
- Visual supports
- Visual supports are pictures, photos, symbols, objects or written words that help a person understand what is happening, what comes next or what they can choose. They include First-Then boards, visual schedules, choice boards and visual timers. A 2020 US review of autism research counted 65 studies supporting visual supports, making them one of the better-researched approaches. They should help a child understand, not force compliance.
- Visual timer
- A visual timer shows time passing in a way a child can see, such as a sand timer or a coloured disc that shrinks. It can help a child understand how long something will last or when a change is coming. Research suggests warnings on their own often do not make leaving a favourite activity easier, so pair a timer with a clear picture of what comes next.