Has Autism vs Autistic: A Quick Comparison of Person-First and Identity-First Languages
Has Autism vs Autistic: A Quick Comparison of Person-First and Identity-First Languages
By: RainbowTrie
When referring to someone on the autism spectrum, there are generally two options.
You could refer to them as:
A. A person WITH AUTISM (or a person who HAS AUTISM)
or
B. An AUTISTIC person
Option A is an example of Person-First language. The idea is to address the person first and the disability second in an effort to be more humanizing and avoid degrading slurs. It is often used by medical professionals, habilitation therapists, and some parents.
Option B is an example of Identity-First language. It is gaining popularity within autistic communities and is supported due to the encompassing nature of autism. Many individuals embrace autism as a major part of their identity and dont consider their personhood to be separated from it.
Neither option is entirely correct or incorrect. Rather, both come with their own set of pros and cons.
Always respect the choice of the autistic individual should they make it known. If the individual is a child, respect the choice of their parent.
If youre worried about making a mistake, the best thing to do is just ask. Theyll be glad you did – as it shows that youre knowledgeable, aware, and considerate of their disability. Some people have a strong preference for either Person-First or Identity-First language and some dont care either way. The most important thing is that we respect the right of autistic individuals to be addressed in a way that they find accepting and compassionate.
More Resources:
1. Identity First Language Overview
2. Using the Word Autistic VS Saying Someone Has Autism
3. Examples of using Person-First and Identity-First Language