When talking about autism, we often use terms that don’t usually appear in everyday language. Most of them aren’t even defined in dictionaries. Within the autistic community, these words make communication easier — they give language to experiences that otherwise have no name. However, this vocabulary can seem confusing or obscure to non-autistic people, as well as to autistic individuals who are undiagnosed or newly diagnosed.
In my pages and articles, I naturally use this vocabulary myself because it feels meaningful, accurate, and true to my experience. Rather than repeatedly explaining what each word means, I decided to gather all of this terminology in one reference page — a glossary.
This isn’t just a list of definitions — it also includes:
- the historical or political context behind the terms,
- short personal insights and examples,
- an engaging and educational explanation.
The glossary will evolve over time. I welcome suggestions to expand it, so feel free to comment on this post. I’ll do my best to update it regularly.
Enjoy, and welcome to the creative language of autism.
Originally published in French on: 9 Sep 2025 — translated to English on: 18 Nov 2025.