Autistic Adult or Adult with Autism? Why?

Some people will say they wear an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini; others will say they wear a bikini with itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dots. It's all a matter of how individuals perceive themselves in relation to each other and their environment.

Grammatically, in English, the proximity of adjectives to the noun (or noun phrase) they qualify is usually attributive, in other words it comes before the noun.

A black dog.

Semantically, an adjective in an attributive position such as a black dog gives equal emphasis both the blackness of the dog and to the dog-ness of the dog. Its colour is an integral part of its being, and distinguishes it from other dogs that are not black. However, if you displace the adjective with a preposition: a dog with a black colouring, you are assigning secondary importance to the colour of the dog. 

Some people see themselves as equally autistic and equally people. An autistic person. In other words, their autism is an integral part of who they are. Some see autism as a secondary characteristic and prefer to give more emphasis to their person-ness. A person with autism. Most people don't care one way or another. It should not be serious, and it should not be prescriptive. It's entirely subjective.

Some people will say they wear an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini; others will say they wear a bikini with itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dots. It's all a matter of how individuals perceive themselves in relation to each other and their environment.

Grammatically, in English, the proximity of adjectives to the noun (or noun phrase) they qualify is usually attributive, in other words it comes before the noun.

A black dog.

Semantically, an adjective in an attributive position such as a black dog gives equal emphasis both the blackness of the dog and to the dog-ness of the dog. Its colour is an integral part of its being, and distinguishes it from other dogs that are not black. However, if you displace the adjective with a preposition: a dog with a black colouring, you are assigning secondary importance to the colour of the dog. 

Some people see themselves as equally autistic and equally people. An autistic person. In other words, their autism is an integral part of who they are. Some see autism as a secondary characteristic and prefer to give more emphasis to their person-ness. A person with autism. Most people don't care one way or another. It should not be serious, and it should not be prescriptive. It's entirely subjective.

Tassimo,

Great post!

I suspect you are an autistic grammarian who could prove useful to know.

(I hope I got that right)

Ben