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Separating The Self

JT

On a lot of posts on this forum we talk about autism, and us. We differentiate between those two things.

However, clearly, if we are autistic then we are also autism. So I feel as if we need to not refer to those two things separately?

It's extreme, but I sort of want to change my name to autism so people refer to me in one go.

So instead of:

'Oh so you are austistic?' ...'yes, my name is ________, and I am autistic'.

It would go:

'Oh hi there Autism' glad to see you.' 'Yes, hi there, nice to see you too. It's nice to be seen for who I am, and not a person WITH a condition you must accommodate'.

Parents

  • I think there is a recent push in the autistic community to use identity first language precisely because of that separation you mention. It typically takes the form of the inverse (I am autistic, I do not ‘have’ autism) but it’s in the same spirit. I’m still learning, so if I’m a bit off message there someone please correct me. 

Reply

  • I think there is a recent push in the autistic community to use identity first language precisely because of that separation you mention. It typically takes the form of the inverse (I am autistic, I do not ‘have’ autism) but it’s in the same spirit. I’m still learning, so if I’m a bit off message there someone please correct me. 

Children
  • in reply to Shardovan

    For the problem with person first language is the idea that it helps "humanise people."  As if autism were such a strange or frightening thing that it makes people forget that I'm also a person. 

    I can talk about a "tall man" or a "blonde lady" without my listeners getting so wrapped up in tall or blonde that they stop thinking about them as people.  I don't need to say "a man with advanced height" because being tall isn't considered to be a defect.  Person first language only reinforces negative attitudes about disability.