Praesidalism

Abstract

This chapter explains how it is easy for the author to focus on the communicative function of language when a mother has a child with minimal language. It points out how language remains a blunt instrument in the author's house as she paid more attention to equipping Jonah with tools to express his preferences. It also discusses vitriol that was being exchanged online over whether to use the phrase “autistic person” or “person with autism.” The chapter emphasizes the person-first language endorsed by the disability rights movement since the 1980s. It refers to Lydia Brown and other self-advocates that opt for identity-first language, such as “autistic person” or simply “autistic,” as they understand that autism is an inherent part of an individual's identity.