Person vs Identity First Language
Note to Reader - There is no right or wrong way to identify
Topic - autistic identity, autism history, self-advocacy
The understanding of autism and its accompanying diagnostic criteria is relatively new. Therefore, how autism is considered and discussed within society is still developing. The understanding of autism as an identity is even newer. Therefore, new language is being created and updated all of the time in line with these different ways of thinking. It is also important to consider how language is connected to our beliefs. It is because our language and beliefs share a message to the world about how we feel about autism and people who are diagnosed as autistic that it is an important conversation for us to have.
Medical understanding:
Until recently, ‘autism’ has been talked about in line with ‘medical’ deficits. From this understanding autism is considered as something to be ‘treated’, ‘fixed’ and even ‘cured’. The medical understanding of autism has been around a lot longer than the community understanding. This is why the medical perspective is the more common understanding of autism.
Social understanding:
The way autism is understood has started to change. The autism community sometimes referred to as ‘the neurodiversity movement’ considers autism as a different way of experiencing the world, and in turn people with these beliefs often use the term ‘autistic’ to indicate that autism is part of their identity, it is their thinking and their mind and body cannot be separated.
Having conversations about how autism is understood, and the language used to describe autistic people, is very important because it helps shape the understanding of autism throughout society.
Why is language important?
It shares a message about how autism is understood
These messages can positively and negatively impact the way autism is recognised across the society where we live and influences how autistic people are viewed and treated by others.
Autism has had A LOT of negative associations in the media ☹
Many autistic people feel that they cannot relate to the autistic characters they see on television or read about in books.
There is still limited recognition of autistic opinions from different backgrounds. This includes young autistic people, autistic people from different ethnic backgrounds, adult diagnosed autistic people, autistic LGBTQ + people and autistic people who use alternative communication devices such as AAC or signing.
Sadly, this means that the way autism is understood within society is often not informed by autistic people, creating misrepresentation – and this needs to change!
You can help change the way autism is understood within society – (This is the exciting part) 😊
As an autistic person you can shape how autism is understood.
You can promote the type of language you would like to see used within society
You can influence positive changes through the language you use and how you discuss autism with other people.
How to start informing positive changes
One way you can start to inform positive changes is by considering person vs identity first language:
The language we identify with is a very personal choice. However, all language portrays a certain meaning. This is why we need to make an informed choice about the language we use. This means that we have considered how we use language and the messages that our shared in our word choices.
Language is connected to our beliefs. It is okay for different people to have different beliefs and use language in different ways. We are all different and how one person feels about their autism diagnosis may be different to how another person feels about their autistic identity.
The following pros and cons to person vs identity first language are shared to help you choose what language works best for you.
An argument for person-first language – Person with Autism
Using this language separates the person from their diagnosis. People who use person-first language believe that people ‘have’ autism and that the diagnosis, and the person who has the diagnosis can be separated as two different things.
People who use this language see this separation of person and diagnosis as a good thing because it recognises the ‘person’ before the ‘diagnostic label’.
Using this language has been known to promote people looking for a ‘cure’ for autism and therapies that encourage changing autistic behaviour to be more like everyone else (such as forced eye-contact and stopping sensory behaviours).
An argument for identity-first language – Autistic Person
People who use this language understand a person’s way of thinking and processing the world (autism) and the ‘person’ as the same thing that cannot be separated.
People who use this terminology often identify as ‘autistic’ which means that autism is thought to be part of who they are.
From this perspective autistic people do not need to be cured or their behaviour changed to be less autistic, because they believe that their way of thinking brings benefits to society.
Some people do not want to identify as autistic and do not want to be considered as having ‘different’ thinking. They want to change their behaviour to fit in with neuro-normative social behaviour.
Additional reading you may like to consider to inform your language choice - https://autisticadvocacy.org/about-asan/identity-first-language/
How do you like to identify and why?
Note to autistic community supporters - it is recommended that you use neurodiversity affirming identity first language with your students, clients and employees for instance neurodivergent, or autistic, unless the person in question has a preference for person first language. A person’s preferred language always overrides any majority community preferences.