Choice of Terminology

There is an ongoing debate in the field of autism spectrum research, as well as in the broader field of disability studies, as to what is the most appropriate use of terminology to address members of the autistic community (Tepest, 2021; Vivanti, 2020). Some people prefer using person-first language (i.e. people on the autism spectrum) while others prefer using identity-first language (i.e. autistic person). Throughout this book we use identity-first language since contemporary research has shown that most autistics prefer this language convention (Bury et al., 2020; Kenny et al., 2016). Furthermore, it is our belief, as autistic researchers, that since the autism spectrum is an inseparable part of a person's identity that the word ‘autistic’ should be used instead of ‘person with autism’ or ‘person on the autism spectrum’.