I’d like to start off by saying I have autism.
Many people - autistic and otherwise - have debated whether to refer to us as autistic people, or people with autism.
I’m aware that some people with autism prefer the former description, autistic people. Personally, I don’t mind either description. I’d guess most of us aren’t that bothered, although I don’t know for sure.
That being said, the latter description, people with autism, is widely considered to be more politically correct.
Neurotypical people will visit this community, and we don’t want to offend them by using the incorrect term to describe ourselves.
/s, by the way. Never let an NT tell you what to call yourself.
Without reading any of the comments, I’ll share this…
Personally, I use “I’m autistic,” not “I have autism.” It’s so ingrained in how I’ve experienced & interacted with the world. There is literally no aspect of my personality, emotional processing, etc. that hasn’t been significantly touched by it in some way. However, I can see how others may not have that same relationship, and a presumption of “autistic” can be problematic to those that prefer “have autism.”
As with anything, always ask what the other person prefers, and kindness goes a long way.
I’m interested to see what others wrote on the subject. :-)