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Glossary

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Glossary Item Description
OASIS

OASIS is an acronym for the Online and Applied System of Intervention Skills distance training program which is designed to teach parents how to implement ABA-based strategies with their children with autism.

Observational Study

Observational study is a study in which the investigators do not seek to intervene but simply observe the course of events.

Obsession

An obsession is an unwanted and unpleasant thought, image or urge that repeatedly enters a person's mind, causing feelings of anxiety, disgust or unease.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition where a person has obsessive thoughts and compulsive activity.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy is the assessment and treatment of physical and psychiatric conditions using specific, purposeful activity to prevent disability and promote independent function in all aspects of daily life.

OCD

OCD is an acronym for obsessive compulsive disorder, a mental health condition where a person has obsessive thoughts and compulsive activity.

Ocular Light Therapy

Ocular light therapy is a form of lightwave stimulation in which an individual looks at coloured light produced by a special machine called a lumatron or a photron light stimulator.

ODD

ODD is an acronym for oppositional defiant disorder, a condtion where children have disruptive and oppositional behaviour that is particularly directed towards authority figures, such as parents or teachers.

Oestrogen

Oestrogen is a hormone which is used to treat a range of medical issues in women.

Olanzapine

Olanzapine is a type of atypical antipsychotic drug which is sometimes used to treat problem behaviours in people on the autism spectrum.

Omega-3

Omega 3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids, essential to good health.

Omega-6

Omega-6 fatty acids are essential fatty acids which play a crucial role in brain function, as well as normal growth and development.

On the Job Training

On the job training means training someone to do a job while they are actually doing that job, as opposed to training them how to do the job while they are still at school or college.

Online and Applied System of Intervention Skills Distance Training Program

The Online and Applied System of Intervention Skills (OASIS) distance training program is designed to teach parents how to implement ABA-based strategies with their children with autism.

Online Communities

Online communities are composed of individuals who communicate with one another on a regular basis using online tools, such as forums, bulletin boards, listservs and some blogs.

Ontario Preschool Autism Initiative

The Ontario Preschool Autism Initiative is an early intensive behavioural intervention provided by the provincial government in Ontario.

Open Label Trial

An open label trial is a clinical trial in which the investigators and participants are aware which intervention is being used for which participant, that is, the opposite of a blinded trial.

Operant Conditioning

Operant conditioning is a technique in which desired behaviours are systematically reinforced through rewards (such as praise or food) and undesired behaviours are ignored or redirected.

Opioid

Opioid is a substance with action like that of opium or its derivatives.

Opioid Antagonists

Opioid antagonists are morphine-like substances which can be used to block the effect of endorphins in the central nervous system.

About This Glossary

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 know of any other items we should include in this section, please email info@informationautism.org.

Please note that we reserve the right not to include an item if we feel that it is not appropriate.

Disclaimer

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.