Child comes first, disability second

I’m writing to comment on the offensiveness of current news reports about Autism Spectrum Disorders. I am appalled to still see the phrase “autistic children” in articles as recently as 2011; the inability of writers to use people-first terminology is shocking. Writers are endorsed for being informative sources of news, and by using outdated terminology like “autistic child” or “mentally retarded sibling,” they are enforcing it to their readers.

Words are a source of power, and also a cause for marginalization. People with disabilities are frequently marginalized and misunderstood by society because many people have had no experience working with individuals with disabilities and are unsure how to behave around them or are afraid of them.

People need to see the person behind the disability and people-first terminology helps do that. By saying child with autism we begin to see the child before the disability. Stigma is much harder to enforce when it has a face behind it and by seeing the person we can help to remove the stigma of the disability.

Terminology is constantly changing; “retardation” is now correctly referred to as “intellectual disability.” The same is true of people-first terminology; terms are being updated to help remove the negative stigma that has been attached to them over time. People need to be empowered by words and not defined by them, and I expect writers to be the first people to endorse this change.

Andrea Muffly

Snohomish