People with disability need to be looked at as more than their diagnosis or perceived limitations.
It starts with language.
A child with Down syndrome is not a 'downsie', a child who is fed by a tube is not a 'tubie, a child with autism is just that... a child WITH autism not an autistic child.
You might toss the thought aside and claim you're tired of being politically correct. What difference does the word choice make?
The difference is how it makes your brain perceive those affected.
It is person first language. A person is a person first and foremost with the same underlying need for love, affection, dignity and respect.
They are a person first who happens to have differences that add to who they are.
Those differences might be shared with a group of other people but as much as they belong to the same 'club' they remain very much an individual.
We must always look at people as more than we see on the outside.
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