What is “People First Language” and what does it mean? People First Language refers to the individual first instead of their diagnosis. For instance, you would say, “Charlie has Down syndrome,” NOT “The Down syndrome kid, Charlie.” People First Language eliminates stereotypes, generalizations and assumptions about individuals, instead making the conversation about that person versus making it about their diagnosis. All people with Down syndrome are not alike, just like all people who have Autism are not alike. They each have their own personalities and characteristics making them, you guessed it, an individual.

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