Carrie - calling someone autistic could be an insult in the same way that calling someone disabled regularly is. The preferred term is “person with autism” and person with a disability” to remind the person and the rest of us that the disabling factor does not describe the totality of the individual, and his/her/their capabilities. Still, most people with a hearing disability do prefer to be called “deaf “ and perhaps some people with autism may choose to be called “autistic”.
Hi, actually autistic adult here. You are right that it was incredibly problematic the way he was using it, because as you said it is not a slur.
For future reference, you should know that person first language is very much not the default when it comes to autism and in general it is best to ask the individual what their preferences are and follow that guidance. Many (not just perhaps some) actually autistic adults prefer to be called autistic (myself included). There is a saying that if you've met one autistic person, you've met one autistic person, so asking for individual preferences is the safest route. Take a quick google sometime on actually autistic public figures and see how many refer to themselves as autistic. You can also just google the phrase “autistic not person with autism“ and check out those results and not have to take my word for this at all.
Unnecessary and feel free to stop reading here, but here is the rationale of myself and that I see from most other actually autistic adults on it: if you took away our autistic brain, we would no longer be who we are. Autism is an inherent part of our identity. It cannot be separated from us while leaving who we are intact. Similar to how you would refer to a queer person as, well, a queer person, rather than a person with queerness. (Yes, I am also queer!) Much better voices have said plenty more about it, and Autistic Self Advocacy Network has a good write up on it posted on their website if you need a more authoritative source.
This is a great column, so well done.
Carrie - calling someone autistic could be an insult in the same way that calling someone disabled regularly is. The preferred term is “person with autism” and person with a disability” to remind the person and the rest of us that the disabling factor does not describe the totality of the individual, and his/her/their capabilities. Still, most people with a hearing disability do prefer to be called “deaf “ and perhaps some people with autism may choose to be called “autistic”.
Agreed. That’s one of the readons it was so problematic.
Hi, actually autistic adult here. You are right that it was incredibly problematic the way he was using it, because as you said it is not a slur.
For future reference, you should know that person first language is very much not the default when it comes to autism and in general it is best to ask the individual what their preferences are and follow that guidance. Many (not just perhaps some) actually autistic adults prefer to be called autistic (myself included). There is a saying that if you've met one autistic person, you've met one autistic person, so asking for individual preferences is the safest route. Take a quick google sometime on actually autistic public figures and see how many refer to themselves as autistic. You can also just google the phrase “autistic not person with autism“ and check out those results and not have to take my word for this at all.
Unnecessary and feel free to stop reading here, but here is the rationale of myself and that I see from most other actually autistic adults on it: if you took away our autistic brain, we would no longer be who we are. Autism is an inherent part of our identity. It cannot be separated from us while leaving who we are intact. Similar to how you would refer to a queer person as, well, a queer person, rather than a person with queerness. (Yes, I am also queer!) Much better voices have said plenty more about it, and Autistic Self Advocacy Network has a good write up on it posted on their website if you need a more authoritative source.