Construing Health and Disability: A diachronic critical corpus-assisted investigation of person-first and identity-first language in autism and aphasia

This chapter presents a diachronic, critical, corpus-assisted study of person-first and identity-first language in scientific discourse focusing on two health conditions: aphasia and autism. Analyzing research articles from 2000 to 2022, we identify distinct and contrasting linguistic trajectories. For aphasia, there is a shift from adjectival premodification (e.g., aphasic) to prepositional postmodification (e.g., with aphasia), aligning with person-first language. In contrast, autism discourse shows a reverse trend—shifting from person-first (e.g., with autism) to identity-first forms (e.g., autistic). Collocational and semantic analyses reveal that identity-first language in autism increasingly co-occurs with terms related to community and identity, indicating a socio-semantic shift toward positive self-identification and linguistic reappropriation of a previously stigmatizing label- now also visible in scientific discourse. By focusing on academic publications, an underexplored area in disability discourse studies, this study highlights the broader impact of language used by health professionals and researchers. Outdated or inappropriate terminology can perpetuate stigma, while inclusive, context-sensitive language fosters respect and equity. Our findings underscore the importance of understanding how naming conventions evolve across different communities and conditions, and call for greater awareness and reflexivity in scientific communication.