New research dives into the heated debate surrounding the language of autism and finds that preferences about how to describe those on the spectrum vary substantially depending on who you ask. In a study of 728 autism stakeholders, researchers sought to examine whether the term “autistic” or the phrase “person with autism” holds favor in the U.S. However, more recently, many self-advocates have started to favor so-called identity-first language — terms like “autistic” and “disabled” — as a means to embrace that the disability is an inherent part of who they are.

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