Person- and identity-first language in autism research: A systematic analysis of abstracts from 11 autism journals

Metadata sources used for this reference

OpenAlex Crossref OpenCitations
Learn more about the sources used

Zajic, M. C. & Gudknecht, J. (2024). Person- and identity-first language in autism research: A systematic analysis of abstracts from 11 autism journals. Autism, 28(10), 2445-2461. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241241202

Publication date: 3 Apr 2024 Added to AutiHub: 5 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
OpenAlex source Publisher source (DOI) Full text

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
2
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 2 (50.0%)
  1. Matthew C. Zajic
  2. Juliette Gudknecht *

Abstract

We examined the use of person- and identity-first language (PFL, IFL) in scholarly writing about autism by reviewing 12,962 journal abstracts from 11 autism research journals (mostly covering the years 2001–2022). We found a preference for PFL (64.68%) over IFL (15.83%) when considering aggregated, within-journal breakdowns (with abstracts using both representing 19.50%). However, when examining language use longitudinally, we observed a general trend toward increasing use of IFL after years of stable trends showing predominant use of PFL. These trends were not consistent across all reviewed journals, as some journals demonstrated preference for either PFL or IFL across all observed years. Notably, we highlight the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders as a special case that offers a 51-year perspective (1971–2022); here, IFL was predominant until the 1990s, when PFL became a stable majority, and in the late 2010s, IFL started to increase. Journal differences in aggregate breakdowns and longitudinal trends are discussed in line with recent policy changes, journal submission guidelines, and shifting perspectives in autism research. Implications for writing about autistic individuals and the role that language plays within the broader autism research scholarly community are discussed. Lay Abstract There are many ways to refer to an individual who is on the autism spectrum. A recommended approach has been to use person-first language (PFL), such as “person with autism.” A different approach is to use identity-first language (IFL), such as “autistic person.” Recent studies focused on different groups of people (e.g. autistic self-advocates, parents, and practitioners) show that some groups prefer PFL (practitioners) while others prefer IFL (autistic self-advocates). However, less is known about how researchers use PFL and IFL in academic writing (e.g. studies published in scientific journals) involving autistic research participants. Our study examined 12,962 journal abstracts (short summaries of scientific articles) from 11 academic journals that publish autism research findings. We wanted to know (a) about the use of PFL and IFL across abstracts, and (b) how PFL and IFL use has changed annually over time. We examined data for all journals individually and grouped together. Our findings showed that journal abstracts generally use PFL (65%) with some using either IFL (16%) or both PFL and IFL (20%). However, journals varied, with some showing a clear majority for PFL and a couple for IFL. Examining trends over time across journals showed that while PFL appeared to be the majority for most journals, IFL has steadily increased in the recent few years. Our study helps us understand how autism researchers write about autistic individuals and offers implications for helping researchers intentionally make choices about the language used in their autism research studies.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Bibliography inclusion overview

These indicators describe the cited bibliography imported for this publication. Cited-reference metrics use the cited-reference total as denominator. Cited-author metrics state whether they use all cited-author occurrences or only occurrences linked to authors already integrated in the AutiHub database. They use cached links between cited authors and authors integrated in the AutiHub database. Last computed: 16 Aug 2026 11:30.

Cited references
47
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
7 / 47 (14.9%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
11 / 93 (11.8%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 11 / 52 (21.2%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 9 / 77 (11.7%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
52 / 93 (55.9%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 40 / 77 (51.9%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
41 / 52 (78.8%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 41 / 93 (44.1%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 31 / 40 (77.5%).
2 cited bibliography entries could not be fully enriched from DOI metadata.
Crossref: not found (1) · DataCite: not found (1)
  1. Eric Schopler , Michael Rutter , Stella Chess (1979). Editorial: Change of journal scope and title . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 9(1), 1-10. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/bf01531287 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W129579864
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  2. American Psychological Association (1983). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association . Publication manual of the American Psychological Association.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  4. Linda Coles , Nell K. Duke , Maria H. Mallette (2005). Literacy Research Methodologies . Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l'éducation, 28(4), 897. The Canadian Society for the Study of Education/La Societe canadienne pour l'etude de l'education.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.2307/4126460 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W567161001
    OpenAlex
  5. American Psychological Association (1994). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association . Publication manual of the American Psychological Association.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  6. Amanda Taboas , Karla Doepke , Corinne Zimmerman (2023). Preferences for identity-first versus person-first language in a US sample of autism stakeholders . Autism, 27(2), 565-570. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/13623613221130845 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4306157884
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  7. (2007). AMA manual of style: a guide for authors and editors . Choice Reviews Online, 45(04), 45-1788-45-1788. American Library Association.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.5860/choice.45-1788 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1500691474
    OpenAlex
  8. American Psychological Association (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association . Publication manual of the American Psychological Association.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  9. Amy F. Crocker , Susan N. Smith (2019). Person-first language: are we practicing what we preach? Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, Volume 12, 125-129. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.2147/jmdh.s140067 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2912882715
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  10. Kate E. DeCleene , Jennifer Fogo (2012). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association . Occupational Therapy In Health Care, 26(1), 90-92. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.3109/07380577.2011.629024 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1636536540
    OpenAlex
  11. American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association . Publication manual of the American Psychological Association.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  12. Riley Buijsman , Sander Begeer , Anke Scheeren (2023). ‘Autistic person’ or ‘person with autism’? Person-first language preference in Dutch adults with autism and parents . Autism, 27(3), 788-795. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/13623613221117914 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4291165536
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  13. Simon Baron-Cohen (2015). Leo Kanner, Hans Asperger, and the discovery of autism . The Lancet, 386(10001), 1329-1330. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(15)00337-2 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2206945064
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  14. American Psychological Association (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association . Publication manual of the American Psychological Association.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  15. Ruth Monk * , Andrew Whitehouse , Hannah Waddington (2022). The use of language in autism research . Trends in Neurosciences, 45(11), 791-793. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.08.009 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4298008727
    AutiHub · Autistic Scholars Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  16. Lorcan Kenny , Caroline Hattersley , Bonnie Molins , Carole Buckley , Carol Povey , Elizabeth Pellicano (2016). Which terms should be used to describe autism? Perspectives from the UK autism community . Autism, 20(4), 442-462. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/1362361315588200 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2227393071
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  17. Chelsea Arnhart , Monika Neale , Claire Collins , Tessa Chesher , Sara Coffey , T. Calli Rogers et al. (2022). The Use of Person-Centered Language in Scientific Research Articles Focused on Autism . Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 43(2), 63-70. Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1097/dbp.0000000000001038 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4210840127
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  19. John J. McDermott (1980). Genesis and Development of a Scientific Fact . Interdisciplinary Science Reviews, 5(4), 339-339. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1179/030801880789767459 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2329155589
    OpenAlex
  20. Autistic Self Advocacy Network. (n.d.). About ASAN. https://autisticadvocacy.org/about-asan/
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  21. Dana S. Dunn , Erin E. Andrews (2015). Person-first and identity-first language: Developing psychologists’ cultural competence using disability language. American Psychologist, 70(3), 255-264. American Psychological Association (APA).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1037/a0038636 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2332517055
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  23. Morton Ann Gernsbacher (2017). Editorial Perspective: The use of person‐first language in scholarly writing may accentuate stigma . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58(7), 859-861. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12706 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2626162561
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  24. (n.d.). Blume H. (1998, September). Neurodiversity: On the neurological underpinnings of Geekdom. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1998/09/neurodiversity/305909/
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  26. Steve Graham (2018). A Revised Writer(s)-Within-Community Model of Writing . Educational Psychologist, 53(4), 258-279. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/00461520.2018.1481406 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2894612007
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  28. Sue Fletcher‐Watson , Francesca Happé (2019). The history of autism . In Autism (pp. 14-27). Routledge.
    Type: Book chapter DOI: 10.4324/9781315101699-2 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2912397476
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  29. Giacomo Vivanti (2020). Ask the Editor: What is the Most Appropriate Way to Talk About Individuals with a Diagnosis of Autism? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(2), 691-693. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-04280-x OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2988128310
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  30. Brown L. (2023). The significance of semantics: Person-first language: Why it matters. https://www.autistichoya.com/2011/08/significance-of-semantics-person-first.html
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  31. Simon M. Bury , Rachel Jellett , Jennifer R. Spoor , Darren Hedley (2023). “It Defines Who I Am” or “It’s Something I Have”: What Language Do [Autistic] Australian Adults [on the Autism Spectrum] Prefer? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 53(2), 677-687. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04425-3 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3007056653
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  33. Nicole E. Rosen , Catherine Lord , Fred R. Volkmar (2021). The Diagnosis of Autism: From Kanner to DSM-III to DSM-5 and Beyond . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51(12), 4253-4270. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-04904-1 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3130188805
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  35. DeJulio S. (2021). Literacy research methodologies . Literacy research methodologies, 27.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  36. Dekker M. (1999). On our own terms: Emerging autistic culture [Autism99 online conference, republished in 2015]. www.autscape.org/2015/programme/handouts/Autistic-Culture-07-Oct-1999.pdf
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  37. Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities. (n.d.). Education and training in autism and developmental disabilities editorial policy. https://daddcec.com/publications/etadd
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  38. Philippine Geelhand , Fanny Papastamou , Marie Belenger , Élise Clin , Lydia Hickman , Connor Tom Keating et al. (2023). Autism-Related Language Preferences of French-Speaking Autistic Adults: An Online Survey . Autism in Adulthood, 5(3), 275-288. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1089/aut.2022.0056 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4313461306
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  39. Fleck L. (1979). Genesis and development of a scientific fact . Genesis and development of a scientific fact.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  40. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. (2022). Author guidelines. http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/clarivate-scholarone-prod-us-west-2-s1m-public/wwwRoot/prod1/societyimages/focus/AuthorGuidelines_Focus_web3-22.pdf
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  41. Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. (2023). 2021-2023 IACC Strategic plan for autism research, services, and policy (draft). U. S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://iacc.hhs.gov/meetings/iacc-meetings/2023/full-committee-meeting/january18/strategic_plan_draft.pdf?ver=3
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  42. JAMA Network Editors (2020). AMA manual of style: A guide for authors and editors . AMA manual of style: A guide for authors and editors.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  43. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. (n.d.). Submission guidelines. https://www.springer.com/journal/10803/submission-guidelines?IFA
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  44. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. (n.d.). Submission guidelines. https://www.springer.com/journal/40489/submission-guidelines
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  45. Sinclair J. (1993). Don’t mourn for us. Our Voice: The Autism Network International Newsletter, 1(3). https://www.autreat.com/dont_mourn.html
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  46. Singer J. (1998). Odd people in: The birth of community amongst people on the autistic spectrum: A personal exploration of a new social movement based on neurological diversity . Odd people in: The birth of community amongst people on the autistic spectrum: A personal exploration of a new social movement based on neurological diversity.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  47. (n.d.). Solomon A. (2008, May 23). The autism rights movement. New York Magazine. https://nymag.com/news/features/47225/
    Type: Other
    Crossref