I think it really depends on the perspective you use to understand autism. If you take a medical approach, then kids with autism would be appropriate because it’s a kid with a disease. It’s like describing someone that has caner would be a person with cancer, not a cancer person. If you take a social approach, then kid with autism sounds absurd like describing someone as kid with Hispanic rather than Hispanic kid. A person that is autistic is fully autistic. It’s integral to whom they are. A person that has cancer wouldn’t change whom they are if the cancer were cured. However, a person that is autistic would be a different person if their autism were gone just like a Hispanic person would be different if their Hispanic were gone.

I can’t speak for everyone that’s autistic, but it seems that the trend is going towards a social understanding. A lot of people are proud they’re autistic and don’t view autism as a disease. Instead, they see it as a personal characteristic that is fundamental to their being, and they call themselves autistic to help others understand how they function and their mental culture. I tell others that I’m autistic, not because I want them to know that I’m broken, but so they know that my actions aren’t symbolic of neurotypical behaviors. For example, looking away from someone’s eyes doesn’t mean I’m not paying attention. It means I’m paying so much attention, that looking at their eyes would be distracting. But, it makes sense that they would think I’m distracted because that’s how neurotypical people communicate. So, I don’t tell people I’m autistic so they know that I’m broken or have a disease, but so they understand that I’m different and to consider that when they interact with me.

Autsim is not an accessory or something that can disappear. It is a fundamental part of who we are, at least in my book. (others may disagree, but I met more autistic people who agree with this.)

I tried to imagine myself as non-autistic, and I just couldn’t. I love my special interests, and my passion for learning. My literalness has given me a great sense of humor. What would I be without them? A different person, and probably a very boring one.

You can’t untangle the person from autism. Autism is how my brain is wired. It does affect my personality because of that, and I get so mad (and fad for the kid!) at the same time when I hear parents talk about their real kid being trapped inside the autism cage or whatever word they use. Those parents will never be able to see their kid for who they are, they will always see them as deficient compared to who they imagined their kid to be.

Personally I prefer being referred to as autistic as “having autism” makes it sound like a disease to me. In my experience what autism does to me is to make me who I am. It’s a collection of traits that we have labeled autistic that is part of shaping my personality, for better and worse. Some traits are annoying to have sure, but everyone has annoying traits(to have or for others to have), mine are just incidentally put in a box and labeled.

The counterargument I’ve heard is that I shouldn’t let it control who I am, therefore it’s something I have, but that sounds silly to me because it is me. I tried all my childhood not to be weird and it only made me more insecure and unsincere. I’d rather own it than pretend it doesn’t “control me”.

It must be said though, it’s not something I care very much about and would probably not have noticed much hadn’t I been corrected by a social worker when I referred to myself as autistic and explained why it shouldn’t be used.