Language is a fascinating phenomenon. It is never and has never been fixed; instead it is always evolving. What doesn't change is the fact that the words we use are powerful and can have effects far beyond simply their purpose of conveying information.

Sensory Hug® - Mini by Medigarments Ltd, in the Bulldog design

The fact that language is in a constant state of flux leads to many debates and there is never a universal consensus. In this edition of the Medigarments Ltd blog, we're going to be looking at the difference between 'person with autism' and 'autistic person'. On the face of it, there does not seem to even be a distinction but there most definitely is.

Person First Language (PFL) has in the past been preferred, particularly by those in the medical and scientific communities. Referring to somebody as a 'person with autism' is to use PFL. In essence, PFL language in this context means that the diagnosis is something that somebody 'has', as opposed to something that somebody 'is'. It seeks to promote the idea that the person referred to is not defined by their diagnosis.

The flip side of this is Identity First Language or IFL. 'Autistic person' is an example of IFL. Though PFL was established in order to be more respectful, a significant majority of those on the autistic spectrum have expressed a preference for IFL and so to be called 'autistic people'. A group by the name of 'Aspies for Freedom' brought this to public attention back in 2005 when they founded Autistic Pride Day, an annual celebration that seeks to 'honour, recognise, and accept the strengths and accomplishments of those on the spectrum rather than stigmatizing autism as something that needs to be treated or fixed'.

When speaking to and with a person, their individual preference between PFL and IFL should always take priority. To speak about the autistic community in general, it is agreed that the best thing to do is to listen to the feelings of the majority of that community.

In 2022, advocacy organisation Autistic Not Weird carried out a survey that sought the opinions of over 11,000 people, over 66% of whom were autistic. Key takeaways from the study included:

• More than three-quarters (76%) of autistic respondents to the survey expressed a preference for IFL and preferred the term 'autistic person' to 'person with autism'. 
• Less than 4% of respondents said that they preferred 'person with autism'.
• 15% of respondents said they were comfortable with either term.
• 5% declined to respond to the question.  

Sensory Hug® - Maxi by Medigarments Ltd, in the Mermaid design

As a leading supplier of dynamic compression garments to the autistic community, Medigarments Ltd often publishes articles about autism. Based on the results of the above survey, as well as consultations with people who wear our garments, we will continue to use the terms 'autistic person' and 'autistic people' in our articles.

Can dynamic Lycra® help with autism?

Some of the daily challenges that autistic children and adults face can be mitigated by wearing dynamic compression garments from our leading SDO® Sensory Dynamic Orthosis™ collection. Medigarments Ltd is a specialist supplier of dynamic compression garments from our SDO® Original and SDO® Lite collections, along with our groundbreaking Sensory Hug®.

The sensory and proprioceptive feedback the garments provide has been repeatedly proven to reduce overactivity, anxiety, restlessness and other negative patterns of sensory-seeking behaviour. These marked decreases directly result in corresponding increases in things like attentiveness, concentration, body awareness, stability, independence, calmness, coping ability and general functioning.

We'd like to invite you to browse the Medigarments Ltd website or get in touch with our expert team to find out more about how SDO^® can have a positive, lasting impact on the lives of people with autism. If you need expert advice, our dedicated clinical team will be more than happy to provide it, so don't hesitate to give us a call or drop us an email.

SDO^® Original, SDO^® Lite and the Sensory Hug^® are part of The World of SDO^® Sensory Dynamic Orthosis™ range of dynamic Lycra^® compression garments by Medigarments Ltd. SDO^®, Sensory Hug^® and Sensory Dynamic Orthosis™ are trademarks of Medigarments Ltd.