Ableist language is often used by autism researchers, which assumes that autistic people are “broken” or inferior to non-autistic people. Strategies for avoiding ableist language are provided in Autism and Adulthood.

“We provide practical guidance to help researchers make language choices that reduce stigmatization, misunderstanding, and exclusion of autistic people,” state Kristen Bottema-Beutel, Ph.D., Boston College, and coauthors.

The authors assert that avoiding ableist language will result in better outcomes for the autistic community and improved communication in research.

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