619 Person First Language vs. Identity First Language Outline
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Person First Language vs. Identity First Language Outline
Deborah Cree, Malaina Falgout, Jarryn Jones, Brandon Moore, Will Neimon, Areli Prado,
Kaleigh Walden
SPCE 619. Section 815.
Dr. Christine Raches
November 19, 2023
PERSON FIRST LANGUAGE VS IDENTITY FIRST LANGUAGE DEBATE
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Introducer (Jarryn): 5 mins
1.
Purpose of Debate: To discuss the pros and cons of each perspective when addressing the Autism community: Person First Language or Identity First Language
a.
General Points:
i.
There is still research that can and should be done to come to a more resolved solution than having two types of addresses when discussing the Autism community.
ii.
Research is split on which type of language to use.
iii.
Community discussions point to asking each individual within the community their preference.
2.
Person First (kaleigh) Point 1: 5 mins
a.
Person-First Language vs. Identity-First Language: An examination of the gains and drawbacks of Disability Language in society
●
‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me’. i.
Words can determine attitude of those speaking them ii.
In addition those involved in an “in-group” will seek ways to identify those in an “out-group” and a simple way to do so would be “words.” Which can invoke identity-first language. iii.
Grouping gives a sense of identity and identifying someone as an outsider can negatively impact identity. iv.
Person first language (PFL) allows others to disassociate the disability from the individual and avoid making that their defining characteristic. 3.
Identity First (Will) Point 1: 5 mins
a.
Which terms should be used to describe autism? Perspectives from the UK autism
community. (Kenny, et al. 2015)
i.
Overall, the favorite terms to use for describing ASD individuals was
‘autism’, ‘on the autism spectrum’, and ‘autism spectrum disorder’
1.
‘on the autism spectrum’ was also a widely accepted phrase
2.
More than 30% in all groups report using phrase ‘is autistic’
ii.
‘Autistic’ was favored by a majority of ASD individuals, less so by family
members and professionals
1.
Preferred to use ‘person/people with autism’
2.
‘person with autism’ was endorsed by almost half (49%) of
professionals but only by 28% and 22% of autistic adults and
parents, respectively
iii.
Themes:
PERSON FIRST LANGUAGE VS IDENTITY FIRST LANGUAGE DEBATE
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1.
viewing autism as intrinsic to the person rather than something that
could be separated from them.
a.
Autism is a worldview, not a disorder
2.
Using ‘low’ or ‘high functioning’ is simplistic and limiting
a.
It is also often used to disregard the opinions of autistic
people. Non-autistics decide for themselves that they are
either ‘too low functioning’ to be capable of having an
opinion, or ‘too high functioning’ for their experiences to
be relevant.
b.
There are many strengths and positive aspects of autism
that should be appreciated.
4.
Person First (Areli) Point 2: 5 mins
a.
Perspectives on Person-First Language: A Focus on College Students (Hoffman, et al. 2020. )
i.
This article’s findings showed that the more exposed people are to special education and/or interact regularly with people with disabilities the more likely they are to use person-first language. ii.
Person-first language was said to be more inclusive, accepting, positive and a more courteous way to speak to those with disabilities.
iii.
People who use person-first language use it because they believe disabilities do not define people.
5.
Identity First (Brandon) Point 2: 5 mins
a.
Preferences for identity-first versus person-first language in a US sample of autism stakeholders (Taboas, et al. 2022)
i.
In this study, 728 stakeholders (adults with autism and caregivers of children with autism) in the United States were surveyed to see if PFL or IFL was preferred. ii.
Of the 728 stakeholders, 298 were adults with an ASD diagnosis. Of these 298 adults, 87% of them preferred IFL and only 13% preferred PFL
iii.
This study also included a sample size of 81 parents. Of the 81 parents, almost 70% of them also preferred IFL
iv.
The article also states the importance of using language and terms to describe a population that are preferred by the members of that population.
6.
Person First (Deborah Cree) Point 3: 5 mins
a.
Research backing i.
The use of Person-First Language in addressing the Autism community has been a topic of debate. Here are some pros and cons:
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PERSON FIRST LANGUAGE VS IDENTITY FIRST LANGUAGE DEBATE
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b.
Pros of Person-First Language:
i.
It recognizes that a human is first and foremost a person
1
.
ii.
It emphasizes that they have a disorder, but that disorder doesn’t define them
1
.
c.
Cons of Person-First Language:
i.
Some autistic people feel that identity-first language better reflects and respects neurodiversity
2
.
ii.
Many autistic people reject person-first language because they don’t think autism is a negative characteristic
3
.
iii.
It’s important to note that the preference for person-first or identity-first language can vary among individuals. Some people in the autism community prefer person-first language, including many parents of children with autism
2
. On the other hand, many autistic people themselves prefer to be called ‘autistic people’
1
. Therefore, it’s always best to respect each individual’s preference when addressing them.
7.
Identity First (Malaina) Point 3: Language is ever-evolving and neither “person-first” or “identity first” are one-size fits all solutions. 5 mins
a.
Research backing (Shannon Wooldridge, NIH Public Affairs Liaison)
i.
“Research evidence suggests many people within the autism community oppose person-first language because if language is needed to separate them from a trait of theirs, it suggests that the trait is negative.”
ii.
“Some autistic people feel that identity-first language better reflects and respects neurodiversity.”
iii.
Consider asking the person’s preference (when applicable) of language when addressing them.
iv.
BACB Ethical Code 1.07 Cultural Responsiveness and Diversity and code
3.01 Responsibility to Clients
8.
Fielders (Malaina and Brandon ) 5 mins
a.
Frequently Asked Questions (from Professor)
i.
What do the BACB ethical codes say that may help guide our understanding of PFL vs. IFL? ii.
How might a BCBA approach this discussion with a client and his/her family?
9.
Person First Closing Statements (Jarryn) 2.5 mins
a.
Person first language (PFL) allows others to disassociate the disability from the individual and avoid making that their defining characteristic. Person-first language also was said to be more inclusive, accepting, positive and a more
PERSON FIRST LANGUAGE VS IDENTITY FIRST LANGUAGE DEBATE
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courteous way to speak to those with disabilities across several different studies. A
condition or disability should not be the defining of who someone is, it should be the qualities within that. 10. Identity First Closing Statements (Jarryn) 2.5 mins
a.
Research evidence suggests many people within the autism community oppose person-first language because if language is needed to separate them from a trait of theirs, it suggests that the trait is negative. Many Autistic people believe that Autism is a worldview, not a disorder, and that is where the problem lies with PFL. Because of the overwhelming response from the Autistic community, this causes a BCBA Ethical Code issue.
PERSON FIRST LANGUAGE VS IDENTITY FIRST LANGUAGE DEBATE
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VISUAL AIDS
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References
1.
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2020). Ethics code for behavior analysts. Retrieved from https://bacb.com/wp-content/ethics-code-for-behavior-analysts/
2.
Hoffman, H., Hengesbach, M., & Trotter, S. (2020). Perspective of Person-First Language: A Focus on College Students. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 33(1), 39-48. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1273634.pdf
3.
Kenny, L., Hattersley, C., Molins, B., Buckley, C., Povey, C., & Pellicano, E. (2015). Which terms should be used to describe autism? Perspectives from the UK autism community. Autism, 20(4), 442-62. doi: 10.1177/1362361315588200
4.
Taboas, A., Doepke, K., & Zimmerman, C. (2022). Preferences for identity-first versus person-first language in a US sample of autism stakeholders. Autism, 27(2), 565–570. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613221130845
5.
Wooldridge, S. (2023). Writing respectfully: person-first and identity-first language. National Institute of Health. Retrieved from https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/what-we-
do/science-health-public-trust/perspectives/writing-respectfully-person-first-identity-first-
language
6.
Ferguson, P. (2017). Person-First Language vs. Identity-First Language: An examination of the gains and drawbacks of Disability Language in society [Preprint]. Journal of Teaching Disability Studies.
7.
Autism Society. (n.d.). Person First Language. Retrieved from https://www.autism-
society.org/living-with-autism/how-we-can-help/safe-and-sound/person-first-language/
PERSON FIRST LANGUAGE VS IDENTITY FIRST LANGUAGE DEBATE
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8.
Kenny, L., Hattersley, C., Molins, B., Buckley, C., Povey, C., & Pellicano, E. (2016). Which terms should be used to describe autism? Perspectives from the UK autism community. Autism, 20(4), 442-462.
9.
Sinclair, J. (1999). Why I dislike “person first” language. Autonomy, the Critical Journal of Interdisciplinary Autism Studies, 1(2).
10. Brown, L. (2011). Identity-first language. Autistic Self Advocacy Network.
11. Kapp, S. K., Gillespie-Lynch, K., Sherman, L. E., & Hutman, T. (2013). Deficit, difference, or both? Autism and neurodiversity. Developmental psychology, 49(1), 59.