Autism Acceptance Month is in April.
Autism Acceptance Day is April 2, 2025.
This post highlights what we should be moving away from and what we should be promoting (autism acceptance).
Moving away from…
– Autism Speaks as they promote harmful stereotypes toward autism. They have spread misinformation and fear, suggesting that autism is a disease/illness that needs a cure.
– The use of the puzzle piece as a “symbol” for autism. The puzzle piece implies that there is a missing “piece” in autistic people; autistic people are not missing anything and are whole as they are.
– Using the “R word.” The “R word” is a slur against neurodivergent people. Autistic people are not “slow” or “stupid,” as this word implies. Using this word is harmful, isolates, and adds to the stigma and stereotypes surrounding autism.
Promoting autism acceptance…
– Autism is a spectrum. Neurodivergent people may experience communication, “social norms,” textures, sensory components, and process things differently or more intensely than neurotypical people do. This can become overwhelming, overstimulating, and debilitating at times. Autistic people may stim/self soothe (hum, rock, flap hands), wear noise cancelling headphones, cover their ears, etc. to regulate themselves.
– The infinity symbol highlights the ongoing need for autism acceptance and represents the spectrum that autism falls on.
– The term “autism acceptance” promotes the awareness AND acceptance of autism. There is a difference between knowing what autism is (“autism awareness”) and accepting it. We all must learn and strive to do better.