skip to main content
Language:
Search Limited to: Search Limited to: Resource type Show Results with: Show Results with: Search type Index

‘Autistic person’ or ‘person with autism’? Person-first language preference in Dutch adults with autism and parents

Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2023-04, Vol.27 (3), p.788-795 [Peer Reviewed Journal]

The Author(s) 2022 ;ISSN: 1362-3613 ;EISSN: 1461-7005 ;DOI: 10.1177/13623613221117914 ;PMID: 35957517

Digital Resources/Online E-Resources

Citations Cited by
  • Title:
    ‘Autistic person’ or ‘person with autism’? Person-first language preference in Dutch adults with autism and parents
  • Author: Buijsman, Riley ; Begeer, Sander ; Scheeren, Anke M
  • Subjects: Adult ; Adults ; Age Differences ; Autism Spectrum Disorder ; Autism Spectrum Disorders ; Autistic Disorder ; Child ; Children ; Emotions ; Female ; Foreign Countries ; Humans ; Intelligence Quotient ; Language ; Language Usage ; Male ; Parents ; Preferences ; Symptoms (Individual Disorders) ; Vocabulary
  • Is Part Of: Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2023-04, Vol.27 (3), p.788-795
  • Description: The language used to refer to autism has been a topic of ongoing debate. Research in English-speaking countries indicated an overall preference for identity-first language (‘autistic person’) among autistic adults rather than person-first language (‘person with autism’). We examined terminology preference in Dutch autistic adults (n = 1026; 16–84 years; 57% women) and parents of autistic children (n = 286) via an online survey. A majority of self-reporting adults with autism (68.3%) and parents (82.5%) demonstrated a person-first language preference. A younger age, higher IQ and more autistic traits predicted a relatively stronger identity-first language preference in autistic adults. We conclude that language and culture may impact terminology preference of adults with autism and parents. For now, we advocate to use a mix of person-first language and identity-first language in academic papers to cover the full range of preferences. Lay abstract There are different words to describe people with an autism diagnosis. For instance, we can put the person before autism (e.g. ‘person with autism’), or we can put autism before the person (e.g. ‘autistic person’). Previous research showed that autistic adults in English-speaking countries generally liked it better when autism is placed before the person. Yet, people also greatly differ in the words they like and dislike. In this study, we examined word preference in Dutch autistic adults (n = 1026; 16–84 years; 57% women) and parents of autistic children (n = 286). Via an online questionnaire, we asked our participants to select one term for autistic people that they liked best. The results showed that most adults with autism (68.3%) and parents (82.5%) preferred to put the person before autism. Younger adults, with a higher intelligence, and with more autistic traits, were a bit more likely to put autism before the person. We conclude that there are large differences in the words that people prefer. Because we found different results in our Dutch participants compared to participants in English-speaking countries, we think that the Dutch language or culture may also play a role in word preference. For now, we advise autism researchers to use both person-first and autism-first language.
  • Publisher: London, England: SAGE Publications
  • Language: English
  • Identifier: ISSN: 1362-3613
    EISSN: 1461-7005
    DOI: 10.1177/13623613221117914
    PMID: 35957517
  • Source: Sage Journals Open Access Journals
Back to results list
INSPIRE LIBRARY - TON DUC THANG UNIVERSITY (84-028) 37 755 057 Feedback
19 Nguyen Huu Tho St. Dist.7, HCM thuvien@tdtu.edu.vn

Copyright © 2017 INSPIRE LIBRARY - TON DUC THANG UNIVERSITY

Searching Remote Databases, Please Wait