Self Advocates Position on Language
In deciding what type of language to use when discussing autism spectrum disorders, there are basically two schools of thought.
#1 Person First Language
Generally, in choosing words about people with disabilities, the guiding principle is to refer to the person first, not the disability. In place of saying "the disabled," it is preferable to say "people with disabilities." This way, the emphasis is placed on the person, not the disability.
It is only important to refer to the person’s disability if it is relevant to the conversation or situation. Disability should not be the primary, defining characteristic of an individual but merely one aspect of the whole person.
#2 Self-Advocates Position on Language
The autistic self-advocacy community as a body prefers autistic-first or
identity-first language (ex. autistic persons, persons on the autism
spectrum, autistic adolescents, adolescents on the autism spectrum) over
people-first language (ex. persons with autism, teens with autism).
The autistic self-advocacy community's usage of autistic-first/identity-first language stems from their belief that the autistic neurology is not separable from the autistic person. It is a response in part to people who contended that autism is something
separable that can be fixed or "cured". It is an effort to take ownership of the term autistic, which was widely dismissed without much justification for its discontinuance.
For more information about The Autistic Self Advocacy Network, click here.
