Talking and Autism
Some great tips from the NAS
| Don’t say | Do say |
|---|---|
| An autistic/autist/autie/aspie (some individuals may refer to themselves in this way, however) | Person/child on the autism spectrum/autism (including Asperger syndrome)/autistic
(Note: We are using the term ‘autistic’ more and more as our recent research indicates that there is a preference for the term among autistic adults.) |
| Suffers from or is a victim of autism | is autistic/is on the autism spectrum/has an autism spectrum disorder
(Note: The term ASD is used by many people but some prefer the term ‘autism spectrum condition’ because it avoids the negative connotations of ‘disability’ or ‘disorder’.) |
| Retarded/mentally handicapped/backward | Person with a disability |
| Disease/illness/handicap | Disability or condition |
| Asperger syndrome is a mild/rare form of autism | Asperger syndrome is a form of autism
(Note: Asperger is pronounced with a hard “g”; see below) |
| Normally developing children | Typically developing children |
| Normal | Neurotypical
(Note: This term is only used within the autism community so may not be applicable in, for example, the popular press.) |
| People living with autism (to describe autistic people and their family and friends) | Autistic people, their families and friends
People on the autism spectrum, their families and friends |
Go here for the full article