Grace Joplin FERREIRA, Helsingin yliopisto
My paper will focus on understanding the role of language in identifying autism as self-identification. It will explore the debate whether language first or identification first is the most reliable and primary tool for recognizing autism or if there are other key aspects of the individual’s experience that should be prioritized. Specifically, the following areas will be addressed: autistic individuals who want to be recognized as autistics and others who want to be identified as a person with autism.