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Understanding autism

Language and terms: autistic, autism spectrum disorder, neurodivergence

Who is it for? For anyone who wants to understand what the terms around autism mean, why different people prefer different forms, and how Autismus Wissen handles this.

In brief

There is no single form of language that everyone prefers. Surveys in the United Kingdom (2016) and the USA (collected in 2022) found that people on the autism spectrum, parents and professionals prefer different terms. [5; 6] Medically, the diagnosis is called “autism spectrum disorder” in ICD-11 (code 6A02). [1] Autismus Wissen writes “people with autism” and “people on the autism spectrum” in its own texts. This is an editorial house decision, not an objectively correct form. Where we name other forms, as here, this is the subject being described.

This English translation was produced with AI assistance and has not yet been independently reviewed.

Medical terms

  • Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the name of the diagnosis in the current classification systems. ICD-11 lists it as “Autism spectrum disorder” (6A02). [1] In Germany, according to the BfArM, ICD-10 (for diagnoses in healthcare: ICD-10-GM) remains the valid official classification until ICD-11 is introduced. [7]
  • Previously separate diagnoses: Following the ICD-10 of the time, the 2016 guideline described the subgroups “early childhood autism” (F84.0), “atypical autism” (F84.1) and “Asperger syndrome” (F84.5). [3, Ch. A.2.2] Today they are combined under the category “autism spectrum disorder”. [2] More: Diagnostic criteria: ICD-11 and DSM-5-TR explained.
  • The 2016 guideline has expired (“valid until 4 April 2021”). [4]

Everyday language: person-first and identity-first

In German, as in English, there are two basic forms:

  • Person-first (“people with autism”, “child with autism”): names the person first and then the characteristic.
  • Identity-first (“autistic people”, “autistic individuals”): names the characteristic as part of identity.

Both forms occur in the community. Which one someone chooses depends on the person.

What surveys show

  • United Kingdom (Kenny et al. 2016, 3,470 respondents): The most widely endorsed terms were “autism” and “on the autism spectrum”, followed to a lesser degree by “autism spectrum disorder”. “Autistic” was endorsed by many adults with autism, relatives and parents, but by considerably fewer professionals; “person with autism” by almost half of professionals, but by fewer adults with autism and parents. The authors concluded that no form is accepted by everyone and that some disagreements run deep. [5]
  • USA (Dwyer et al. 2026, 5,279 respondents, collected in 2022): The term “autism” itself was widely accepted. A cluster analysis found an “open” group (47 %), an identity-first group and a person-first group. “Person suffering from autism” was rejected most strongly. The authors advise asking about preferences in personal contact. [6] More: “Autism” language: US survey finds no uniform preference.

Both studies concerned English terms in the United Kingdom and the USA. We have not read any study on how German-speaking people on the spectrum express themselves; the results cannot simply be transferred to German terms.

A review article defines: neurodiversity is the natural variation in human neurological development; neurotypical describes people whose development lies within the range usually regarded as typical; neurodivergent people whose development differs from it (for example people on the autism spectrum); neurodiverse is a collective term for mixed groups. [8] The word “neurodiversity” was coined in 1998 by the sociologist Judy Singer and the journalist Harvey Blume. [8] “Neurodivergence” also covers developments other than autism (for example ADHD); the authors of this work present the concept as an alternative to the medical model. More: Neurodiversity: what lies behind the concept.

How we handle this

  • Our own texts: “people with autism”, “people on the autism spectrum”, “people on the spectrum” (where clear). This is a decision of the editorial team; other forms are not “wrong”.
  • Quotations, titles and proper names are reproduced unchanged.
  • Technical terms without reference to persons, for example “autistic burnout”, are used where they are called that in the specialist literature.
  • No judgement of the terms, and no belittling: we avoid phrasings such as “suffers from autism”.

What else you should know

  • Ask. In personal contact, the best rule is to ask the person what term they prefer. [6]
  • Functioning labels (for example “high-functioning”) and terms for subgroups were described as controversial in the US study. [6] We use them only as quotations.
  • Not covered: the language used in self-help in German-speaking countries and the history of individual terms beyond the sources mentioned.

Note: This article provides general information and is not a recommendation as to what term anyone should choose for themselves.

Sources and literature

  1. World Health Organization. ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics, Code 6A02 „Autism spectrum disorder“, Version 2025-01. – Classification
  2. Höhne E, Kamp-Becker I. Diagnostik der Autismus-Spektrum-Störung. Pädiatrie 2024;(4+5):27–32. – Expert overview (in German)
  3. DGKJP, DGPPN et al. Autismus-Spektrum-Störungen im Kindes-, Jugend- und Erwachsenenalter. Teil 1: Diagnostik. S3-Leitlinie, AWMF-Reg.-Nr. 028-018, Textstand 23.02.2016 (Kap. A.2.2). – Guideline (in German) (expired; according to the document note under revision)
  4. DGKJP. Aktuelle Leitlinien (Eintrag 028-018: „Gültig bis 04.04.2021“). https://www.dgkjp.de/wissen/aktuelle-leitlinien/ – Professional society (website in German)
  5. Kenny L, Hattersley C, Molins B, Buckley C, Povey C, Pellicano E. Which terms should be used to describe autism? Perspectives from the UK autism community. Autism 2016;20(4):442–462. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361315588200 – Survey
  6. Dwyer P, Williams ZJ, Magnuson JE, Woynaroski TG. English-Language Autism Terminology Preferences of Autistic People and their Parents in the United States: Clustering Illuminates Diverse Views. Autism 2026 (online 25.08.2026). https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613261475023 – Survey
  7. Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte (BfArM): Informationsseiten „ICD-11“ und „ICD“. https://www.bfarm.de/DE/Kodiersysteme/Klassifikationen/ICD/ICD-11/_node.html – Authority website (in German)
  8. Pellicano E, den Houting J. Annual Research Review: Shifting from ‘normal science’ to neurodiversity in autism science. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2022;63(4):381–396. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13534 – Review article (position paper)

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