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Identity-first language (eg "autistic person") versus person-first language (eg "person with autism") ebb and flow in popularity

09.16.26 | PLOS

Identity-first language (eg "autistic person") versus person-first language (eg "person with autism") ebb and flow in popularity: though person-first language has seen an increase in popularity in books and online news from 1980 onward, this trend is counteracted by a more recent swing toward identity-first language.

Article URL: https://plos.io/46gmnsE

Article Title: Who you are or what you have: Historical trends in identity-first and person-first language in books and news media

Author Countries: Australia

Funding: The work reported in this paper was supported by Australian Research Council grant DP250102690 to NH ( https://www.arc.gov.au/ ). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

PLOS Mental Health

10.1371/journal.pmen.0000684

16-Sep-2026

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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Article Information

Contact Information

Charlotte Bhaskar
PLOS
cbhaskar@plos.org

How to Cite This Article

APA:
PLOS. (2026, September 16). Identity-first language (eg "autistic person") versus person-first language (eg "person with autism") ebb and flow in popularity. Brightsurf News. https://www.brightsurf.com/news/8Y4GWNDL/identity-first-language-eg-autistic-person-versus-person-first-language-eg-person-with-autism-ebb-and-flow-in-popularity.html
MLA:
"Identity-first language (eg "autistic person") versus person-first language (eg "person with autism") ebb and flow in popularity." Brightsurf News, Sep. 16 2026, https://www.brightsurf.com/news/8Y4GWNDL/identity-first-language-eg-autistic-person-versus-person-first-language-eg-person-with-autism-ebb-and-flow-in-popularity.html.