Words Matter: Exploring Neurodiversity Affirming Language

So... you’re ready to be part of the Neurodiversity Affirming movement to support an autistic and neurodivergent child in your world. Awesome, welcome in! The language you use matters. I’m kicking off this podcast series by sharing the language that you need to put in the bin, and the language to use instead.

In today’s episode, we delve into neurodiversity versus neurodivergent, why identity first language is preferred by most autistic people. We discuss getting comfortable with the term ‘autistic’ rather than ‘on the spectrum’ and why ‘high-functioning’ & ‘low-functioning’ terms should be left in the past.

Tune in for these ideas and more!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• One person with a different type of brain from others is neurodivergent, while a group of people can be neurodiverse
• Being autistic doesn’t have to be limiting or a problem. The problems arise when an autistic person lives in a world that does not support and accommodate their needs
• Why we should drop the D (Disorder) in ASD
• It’s not a compliment to refer to an autistic person as high-functioning - this negates someone’s internal experience and only describes your opinion of how ‘normal’ they appear to you
• Referring to an autistic person as low-functioning indicates low expectations of them, and it’s an awful term.

Get the free Cheatsheet PDF highlighting the terms that you should and shouldn’t use when talking about autism and neurodiversity - https://playlearnchat.ck.page/48f9b202e1

Transcript available on my website: https://playlearnchat.com/podcast-1

If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend, family member or a colleague!

Podcast Link: https://pod.link/1625478932

Website: www.playlearnchat.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/play.learn.chat/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/play.learn.chat