People First Language

One of the things that I became aware of early on in having a child with Down Syndrome is the need to emphasize, or encourage using, what is called "people first" language.

Before my daughter was born, I'm sure I was often guilty of not using people first language when talking about others with disabilities. I still hear people say things like, "Look at that Downs girl.", or "There's an autistic boy in my class at school." Phrasing things this way communicates that it is the disability that is seen first, and that their disability is the main thing that defines them as a person. But we don't do this with others. We don't refer to someone as a "diabetic employee", or a "cancerous patient".

I want people to know that my daughter is first and foremost a human being. She is a daughter, a sister, a friend. She is more like her siblings, who don't have Down Syndrome, in many ways than she is like other kids that do have Down Syndrome. That one extra chromosome may affect her whole being, but the other 46 still have the lion's share in determining who she is as a person.

So, when I can, I encourage people to phrase things like, "that girl who has Down Syndrome", or "the boy in my class who has autism". It's seeing the person first, the disability second. And I think that small difference in wording has a profound impact on our attitudes, and how we will ultimately see, and treat, those around us.