2:26pm August 19, 2014

“I prefer the person first label. I fell that the autism first label does not acknowledge that I am a person that has unique abilities. The autism first label defines me by one thing and that is my autism. The person with autism helps me to be able to define myself as being a person who has an autism spectrum disorder. It defines me as a human. I fell that the whole autistic person thing says that I am broken and can not be fixed or made to be better. Not that I would want to be fixed. Autism is as much a part of my identity as being a corsetmaker or working an office job. I am not an autistic person, I am a person who has autism. Sadly enough, there are still people out there who think that people with autism have no place in the working world. Maybe they don’t say it, but their actions sure do imply it. I know my grandmother (not blood related) actually told my father that my brother (who also has autism) and I should both be institutionalized. It doesn’t hurt so much now as it did back when she said that because I realize that she was acting out of ignorance. Unfortunately, people go by what they see on the outside rather than by who the person really is. I really wish people would just forget their ignorance for a bit and actually take the time to talk to me and get to know me. If they did, they might actually be amazed by the person that I really am and what I’ve had to go through to be where I am at now. There is a line in a Theatre Of Tragedy song that I think really does apply to this. It says, “Talk to us long enough and you will be perplexed.” (Begin And End, Theatre Of Tragedy). Anyway, I think I’ve been on my soapbox long enough. These are just my two cents.”

Tara, from this comment section

I just wanted to quote and link to that because there are people who believe there are no people with autism who prefer person-first language.  This person obviously does prefer it.  I don’t personally prefer person-first language, but I just want people to know there really are people with autism who do, and they aren’t just brainwashed or something.

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