Autistic person or person with autism?
Published 30 August 2024. Written by Leeds Autism Practice Staff.
What is the correct language to use when referring to an autistic person? Is it autistic person or is it person with autism? In this article, we will dive in to the debate.
TL;DR: We use the term "autistic person".
Person-first language
Person-first language is where you say "person with autism".
This type of language became popular in the disability movement where people with disabilities wanted to emphasise that they are a full person with abilities, goals and feelings, rather than being seen as a disability.
As such, the idea of using the term "person with a disability" or "person who is blind" rather than "disabled person" or "blind person".
This avoids the temptation to view them through the lens of someone who is defined by their disability, rather than being defined by their humanity, personality and abilities.
Some autistic people prefer person-first language and therefore prefer the term "person with autism".
Identity-first language
Identify-first language places autism back at the centre of the description.
This is often preferred by autistic people who see being autistic as a core part of who they are.
You could compare it to other areas of our identity. For example, I refer to myself as a British person, rather than person with Britishness, because a core part of my identity is the beliefs, values and even biases that I picked up growing up in the UK.
Identity-first language also reinforces the idea that autism is a difference rather than a disability. Autistic people have many strengths and a unique way of looking at the world and the identity-first language celebrates this.
Which one do people prefer?
There is no single answer. Some people may prefer one approach whereas others may prefer another.
However, research by Taboas, Doepke, & Zimmerman (2023) found that "overwhelmingly, autistic adults preferred identity-first language terms to refer to themselves or others with autism".
Many autistic charities tend to use identity-first language including the National Autistic Society, Ambitious about Autism, Autistica and Autism Alliance UK.
Therefore, we recommend using identity-first language.
References
Taboas, A., Doepke, K., & Zimmerman, C. (2023). Preferences for identity-first versus person-first language in a US sample of autism stakeholders. Autism, 27(2), 565-570.