Preferences for Identity-First and Person-First Language: A Systematic Review of Research With Autistic Adults/Adults With Autism.
Researchers still favor person-first language, but autistic adults increasingly prefer identity-first terms—ask each client which they want.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team read every autism paper they could find. They looked at 12,962 abstracts. They counted how many used person-first language and how many used identity-first language.
They wanted to see which words researchers use when they talk about autism.
What they found
Two out of every three abstracts still say person with autism. Only one in six say autistic person.
But the trend is shifting. More papers now use identity-first words than before.
How this fits with other research
Three surveys of autistic adults tell a different story. Vassos et al. (2023), Keating et al. (2023), and Kenny et al. (2016) all found that most autistic adults prefer identity-first terms.
This looks like a contradiction. Researchers mostly write person with autism, yet autistic adults mostly call themselves autistic.
The gap matters. When you write reports, using the words your client prefers shows respect.
Why it matters
Before you send your next report, check the language. Ask your client, Do you prefer autistic person or person with autism? Then use those exact words. This small step builds trust and shows you listened.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Add a one-question intake box: Preferred autism term (autistic person / person with autism / other).
02At a glance
03Original abstract
There are many ways to refer to an individual who is on the autism spectrum. A recommended approach has been to use person-first language (PFL), such as "person with autism." A different approach is to use identity-first language (IFL), such as "autistic person." Recent studies focused on different groups of people (e.g. autistic self-advocates, parents, and practitioners) show that some groups prefer PFL (practitioners) while others prefer IFL (autistic self-advocates). However, less is known about how researchers use PFL and IFL in academic writing (e.g. studies published in scientific journals) involving autistic research participants. Our study examined 12,962 journal abstracts (short summaries of scientific articles) from 11 academic journals that publish autism research findings. We wanted to know (a) about the use of PFL and IFL across abstracts, and (b) how PFL and IFL use has changed annually over time. We examined data for all journals individually and grouped together. Our findings showed that journal abstracts generally use PFL (65%) with some using either IFL (16%) or both PFL and IFL (20%). However, journals varied, with some showing a clear majority for PFL and a couple for IFL. Examining trends over time across journals showed that while PFL appeared to be the majority for most journals, IFL has steadily increased in the recent few years. Our study helps us understand how autism researchers write about autistic individuals and offers implications for helping researchers intentionally make choices about the language used in their autism research studies.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2025 · doi:10.1177/13623613241241202