Understanding language preference: Autism knowledge, experience of stigma and autism identity.

Australian researchers asked 198 autistic adults what language they prefer when talking about autism - either 'person with autism' or 'autistic person'. They found that people who feel strongly connected to their autism identity prefer 'autistic person', while those who have experienced more negative attitudes about autism prefer 'person with autism'. This helps explain why different people have different preferences for how we talk about autism.

This Australian study surveyed 198 adults with autism diagnoses about their language preferences regarding person-first ('person with autism') versus identity-first ('autistic person') terminology. Researchers examined whether autism knowledge, stigma experiences, and autism identity influenced these preferences. While no significant associations were found for person-first language preferences, identity-first language preferences showed clear patterns: individuals with stronger autism identity endorsed identity-first terms more favorably, while those experiencing greater stigma found these terms less preferable and more offensive. This research provides important context for understanding why people prefer specific terminology when discussing autism.

Healthcare providers and researchers should be aware that language preferences vary among autistic individuals and are influenced by identity strength and stigma experiences. Understanding these factors can improve communication and reduce potential offense in clinical and research settings.

Study limited to Australian adults with autism diagnoses. Sample size of 198 may not capture full diversity of preferences. Cross-sectional design prevents establishing causality between measured factors and language preferences.

There is ongoing discussion around what language is acceptable when talking about someone with an autism diagnosis, especially regarding person-first (e.g. person with autism) or identity-first (e.g. autistic person) language. We asked 198 Australian adults with an autism diagnosis what terminology they prefer and what they find offensive. We also asked questions to understand their experience of stigma, their autism knowledge and how much they endorse an autism identity, to investigate if these factors were associated with their language preferences. Overall, there was no significant association between these three factors and person-first terminology.

For identity-first terms, those who endorse a stronger autism identity tended to find identity-first terms more preferable and less offensive, whereas those who reported greater experiences and internalisation of stigma tended to find identity-first terms less preferable and more offensive. Previous research has tended to ask what language participants prefer. The findings of this work help provide some context as to why people prefer or find offensive specific terms, at least for identity-first language.