Neuroaffirming language

The language we use shifts over time and the words we use are important.

At CliniKids, we are committed to using language that is neuroaffirming and preferred by the autistic community.

In the first instance, it’s important to know what we mean by neurodiversity.

• Neurodiversity: The idea that everybody has a different brain – and because everybody has a different brain and different neurological system, they have different experiences in life. These differences in neurology can change the way one person thinks, behaves, processes, functions, copes, and perceives the world around them.  
• Neurodivergent: A term used to refer to individuals who have a brain that diverges from what is considered the norm.
• Neurodiverse: A group of people that consist of multiple neurotypes (e.g., autistic and neurotypical) is considered to be neurodiverse. Note that one person can’t be neurodiverse.

Below are some terms you may have heard and the current language preferences among the majority of autistic adults. Our list focuses on the autistic experience, however all neurotypes benefit from a neuroaffirming approach.

Different individuals and families may have personal preferences on language, and we encourage you to ask about their preferences.

The following table is adapted from Monk, Whitehouse and Waddington’s published work ‘The use of language in autism research’. 

Monk, R., Whitehouse, A. J. O., & Waddington, H. (2022). The use of language in autism research. Trends in Neurosciences (Regular Ed.), 45(11), 791–793. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2022.08.009 

Autistic Preferred	Potentially Offensive	Perspectives
Autism	Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD, On the Spectrum	The term ‘disorder’ suggests that there is something wrong, or needs curing and is rooted in a medical model.
Autistic person (identity first language)	Person with autism (person first language)	Use of identify first language is generally preferred in the adult autistic community. It acknowledges that autism is part of a person’s identity, and it can’t be separated from who they are. Preferences may vary and it’s appropriate to ask the individual, child and family's language preferences.
Specific support needs	High and low functioning severity (e.g., mild /moderate / severe) labels	People’s support needs vary over time, and across environments and contexts. The terms ‘high’ and ‘low’ do not encompass a person’s internal experience of their support needs, but more how they externally present to others. The preference would be to state the current strengths, skills, needs and challenges of an individual.
Specific autistic characteristics and/or experiences	Symptoms, impairments	Medical terminology pathologises the characteristics and experiences of autistic people as deficient and abnormal.
Specialised, focused or intense interests	Restricted interests and obsessions	Deficit-based language pathologises autistic individuals interests rather than celebrating their knowledge.
Stimming	Stereotypy	Stereotypy was a word coined at a time where stimming was often viewed as something to change and reduce. We now know how important stimming is for individuals – it is a repetitive action that creates joy or is soothing for the person doing it.
Specific supports, services	Cure, treatment or intervention	Neurodivergence doesn’t need to be cured, but individuals may experience challenges and benefit from support to thrive. Support needs include all the things a person may need (e.g., relationships and environment) to participate in different aspects of their life.
Neurotypical, allistic or non autistic	Normal	Neurodiverse brains are all part of the natural variation of human existence.
May be autistic, increased likelihood of being autistic	Red flags, at risk of autism	Danger-oriented terms (vs. probabilistic terms) imply that autism is a negative outcome.

References

1. https://ndconnection.co.uk/resources/p/nd-affirming-language-guide
2. https://playlearnchat.com/podcast-1/
3. Monk, R., A.J.O. Whitehouse, and H. Waddington. 2022. "The use of language in autism research." Trends in Neurosciences Vol 45(11), 791-793.
4. Autistic Not Weird Autism Survey 2022 http://autisticnotweird.com/autismsurvey/
5. ABCS of Neurodiversity, Bridges Learning System
6. Adapt Ed Neuroaffirming Handbook, Mott M & Rodwell D 2023 (epublication)
7. Alvares, G. A., Bebbington, K., Cleary, D., Evans, K., Glasson, E. J., Maybery, M. T., Pillar, S., Uljarević, M., Varcin, K., Wray, J., & Whitehouse, A. J. (2020). The misnomer of ‘high functioning autism’: Intelligence is an imprecise predictor of functional abilities at diagnosis. Autism, 24(1), 221-232. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361319852831