Person-First Language
Person-First Language: This approach emphasizes the individuality of a person by placing the person before the descriptor. It's used to speak about someone without defining them solely by their disability or condition.
For example, saying "person with autism" instead of "autistic person" acknowledges the person before the condition, suggesting that the condition is just one aspect of who they are, not the defining characteristic.
Identity-First Language
Identity-First Language: In contrast, identity-first language puts the descriptor before the person, which is often preferred in certain communities. This approach is seen as a way of embracing an aspect of one's identity as an integral part of who they are, rather than something separate or secondary.
For instance, many in the autistic community prefer "autistic person" over "person with autism."
A Few Important Language Concepts:
* There is not a clear consensus on language though in different realms of this field there are some best-practice starting points.
* Language is very individual (even some of the language we tend to avoid in best-practice is very meaningful for some and an important part of their identity).
* So much of language is about listening, modeling, and asking
NeuroAbleism.com is a Sanctuary Publishers Project – Working to help raise the voices of marginalized communities while building bridges to help all social justice movements embrace consistent anti-oppression.
"This page includes links connected to the words people-first language and identity-first language which take you to resources from the Autistic Advocacy Network (ASAN) which most often uses identity-first language and Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) which most often uses people-first language." - Dr. Samantha Fuld
AUCD is a large network connecting disability-related research, education, and programming across universities in the United States. Most of their efforts are focused on developmental disabilities
