I’d like to start off by saying I have autism.
Many people - autistic and otherwise - have debated whether to refer to us as autistic people, or people with autism.
I’m aware that some people with autism prefer the former description, autistic people. Personally, I don’t mind either description. I’d guess most of us aren’t that bothered, although I don’t know for sure.
That being said, the latter description, people with autism, is widely considered to be more politically correct.
Neurotypical people will visit this community, and we don’t want to offend them by using the incorrect term to describe ourselves.
/s, by the way. Never let an NT tell you what to call yourself.
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.
I don’t think adjective-first is letting it control who I am. It’s just one of my qualities. I am kind. I am clumsy. I am intelligent. I am creative. I am autistic.