Autism Acceptance - All Day, Every Day
Kalin Bennett-Kent State University via nbcnews.com
Autism Acceptance and it is not a Request
April is a month full of awareness of many underserved spaces. The month itself is Autism Awareness Month (along with Child Abuse Awareness and Sexual Assault Awareness Month). While we will be covering all topics this month, this week is World Autism Acceptance Week, and with April 2nd being World Autism Awareness Day, it would be only fitting to kick off the month accordingly. Firstly, let’s look at the distinction between acceptance and awareness in the previous statement. Understand when discussing autism, we are speaking from a place of acceptance. Remember, when looking at neurodivergence, we are looking at “the natural diversity of cognitive functioning - this is based on the idea that everyone has a differently wired brain and their unique way of thinking and experiencing the world” (J. Singer, 2022). Once we reframe how we perceive cognition and cognitive ability, we can begin to accept autism (along with other neurodivergent diagnoses) as another way of experiencing and expressing humanity.
The Centers for Disease and Control defines Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) “as a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges,” with an estimated 1 in 44 children believed to have ASD (CDC, 2022). According to the Autism Self Advocacy Network, ASD is defined as “a developmental disability that affects how we experience the world around us. Autistic people are an important part of the world. Autism is a normal part of life and makes us who we are” (ASAN, 2022). What is unique about autism is that not everyone who has autism experiences it the same way, which is how the term ASD has come about. All individuals with ASD are different and unique and cannot be stereotyped. What also must be made clear is that not only is it statistically more than likely you will encounter an autistic individual in your daily life, they are reflected in BIPOC, in every gender, and in every orientation. They have been pillars of thought and creativity throughout history that have shaped historical culture, including Mozart, Einstein, and Benjamin Banneker. Presently, Kalin Bennett is the first person with autism to receive a D1 scholarship. Armani Williams is the first known NASCAR driver with autism. Hikari Oe, a mostly non-verbal world renowned autistic composer, and Satoshi Tajiri, the inventor of Pokemon and video game programmer, and many more. So please understand how we have well-surpassed awareness. We cannot accept the infinite contributions neurodivergence has brought to humanity through philosophy, mathematics, arts, and imagination without accepting the individuals that have the capacity to contribute the same by simply existing. Autistic people provide a depth to humanity that neurotypical people dismiss. They have the full capacity for love, friendship, and humanity even if it does not look like what we have societally conditioned to believe these values to be. Please don’t misunderstand us here. We are not only about that life, we also understand that those with ASD and other representations of neurodivergence are about it too. It is demonstrated in the infinite ways we show up in the world and the endless contributions that varying human experiences can provide to it.
Here is where we defer to the experts. Below you will find some individuals and resources who experience life in this way who are fully capable of not only telling their stories but educating others on the vast spectrum of neurodiversity:
Autistic Izzy @autieselfcare, who provided the neurodivergent definition and is a young ambassador for @nationalautisitcsociety in the UK.
Viewing suggestion: Love on the Spectrum on Netflix
Autistic People of Color and Resources (links are embedded)
An Autistic Mom with Two Kids (and a husband with ADHD)
Asperger’s and Autism and Those That Are Left Out
Black Autistic People You May Want to Know
Autism Community Honors Advocates in Latino Communities
@savangphotography British and Asian Content Creator
Asian American Parenting and Autism
*Stereotypes of autism being mostly among white males has caused infinite harm to BIPOC children. Please note that many BIPOC communities are undiagnosed or lack resources for ASD. Please see this link for access to various resources (here) .
“I don’t want my thoughts to die with me, I want to have done something. I’m not interested in power, or piles of money. I want to leave something behind. I want to make a positive contribution – know that my life has meaning.” -Temple Grandin