I’d like to start off by saying I have autism.
Many people - autistic and otherwise - have debated whether to refer to us as autistic people, or people with autism.
I’m aware that some people with autism prefer the former description, autistic people. Personally, I don’t mind either description. I’d guess most of us aren’t that bothered, although I don’t know for sure.
That being said, the latter description, people with autism, is widely considered to be more politically correct.
Neurotypical people will visit this community, and we don’t want to offend them by using the incorrect term to describe ourselves.
/s, by the way. Never let an NT tell you what to call yourself.
Is it weird to have different preferences depending on the language I speak?
In English I really prefer Autistic person/identity first, over person with Autism/person first. The last seems to me a bit too pretentious for me, as if you really need to pay so much extra attention to what is wrong with me.
In my native Dutch however I somewhat more align with person first. Basicly you have three options: -ik ben Autistisch/I am Autistic -Ik ben een Autist/I am a Autistic -ik heb Autisme/I have autism The first and last option I don’t really mind wich one is used, although to describe myself I would use the first. But the middle one. Well Autist I have heard multiple times used as a curse word. (Dutch tend to use a diseases as curses to describe people) And well that does not help you feel good about yourself, or coming out of the Autism close for one thing. But even outside of people who do this, it made me avoid using that word to describe myself. As I do not want to be associated with the stereotype that belongs with that curse.
so yeah, I always find this an interesting but slightly difficult to explain question. And shows once more; words matter.
It’s funny, I’m from Denmark where we also have those three ways of referring to autistic people but I much prefer the equivalent to the first and second option in Danish. Autism isn’t really used as a curse word here though it is used in a derogatory manner by some to mean something is stupid or odd.
deleted by creator