Perhaps you have heard of person-first language? After all, it's common talk in the disability community. Maybe you have even heard someone refer to an autistic person by saying he or she has autism. But not all autistics agree with person-first language.

Though it is common for both the medical and cure-focused communities to refer to an autistic person as a person with autism, such references are not the lingo of the greater whole of the autistic community.

In a nutshell, saying a person has autism may imply that the person is defective or that there is an inherent problem or sickness within the person. It also implies that autism can somehow be separated from the person.

Here's a quote from Jim Sinclair:

I am not a "person with autism." I am an autistic person.

Explore more of what Jim has to say by visiting:

(http://web.syr.edu/~jisincla/person_first.htm)

If you find yourself in a sticky situation then it is quite neutral to simply say, "person on the autistic spectrum."

Thanks for brushing up on your autistic community lingo!

Photo Credit: Marcelo Barboza