Person-First or Identity-First Language for Discussing Autism
An emerging topic of significance that Connec-to-Talk is exploring in this month’s blog is whether to use person-first or identity-first language when discussing your disabled loved ones. As an ABA provider, Connec-to-Talk is focusing on the implications of both for the autistic community. Person-first language places the person before the diagnosis in a sentence. ‘Child with autism’ would be an example of person-first language. Identity-first language opens with the diagnosis.. ‘Autistic child’ would be an example of identity-first language.
Many people may default to using person-first language, with the belief that it emphasizes that the individual is a human being first and foremost. It’s often used with the hope that it is more respectful to recognize the person before the disability. In theory, it is well-intentioned, so what could be the downside? For starters, autism is a disorder, not a disease. You cannot cure someone of autism and discussing autism in the way that we discuss diseases (i.e. person with breast cancer) may reinforce some misconceptions that people have about the disorder.
Whereas using identity-first language has the benefit of conveying the permanence of autism. Those opposed to identity-first language may argue that describing someone as an autistic person places all the emphasis on the disorder. It may come across as though the person is completely defined by their autism. As a counterpoint, autism does fundamentally influence how people experience the world around them. Recognizing that the two are inextricably linked forces us to confront our understanding of the autistic lived experience.
It can be argued that there are pros and cons to both person-first and identity-first language. Then, what do you choose? When possible, ask the people you encounter what their personal preference is. The most respectful language is the language the person you’re speaking to feels comfortable with. If your loved one doesn’t yet have the ability to tell you what they prefer, talk about them with dignity and change course if you learn their preference down the line.
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