I have been. It’s interesting to read the feedback as many of the kids I work with are preschool age and unable to share what they would prefer to be called and the parents are often so overwhelmed with just receiving the diagnosis that they haven’t formed an opinion about this particular topic yet.

Definitely want to find a way to bring this into my place of work and share, but will need something a little more formal than “internet NDs said…” Certainly presents a personal and professional topic of research for the future.

If you want more solid references, the vast majority autistic adults in the US prefer identity-first language ( pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36237135/ ), and it’s also the norm for autism activists and self-managed autism organizations ( autisticadvocacy.org/about-asan/faq/ ). Since this is a recent trend, it’s likely that it’ll extend to other anglo speaking countries too.

Mind you, the language itself is a point with very little practical consequence, but the philosophy behind this debate, that is, whether the differences of autistic people must be respected and accepted and properly integrated, or if autistic people must be forced to conform to norms that were established without taking them into account, conditions our whole lives.