'I won’t support Autism Awareness Week '

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Back in January 2015, after a three and a half year wait, I was diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome (which is now recognised as Autism Spectrum Disorder). A label like this doesn’t change anything, and yet it changes everything. It’s just a word to describe people like me, but as soon as you say ‘I’m autistic’ out loud, it alters the way people behave towards you. The awareness – how others see me – is why I, as an autistic person, will not be supporting Autism Awareness Week.

Autism Awareness should be renamed Autism Acceptance, regardless of whether it applies to the day, week, or month.

What is Autism Acceptance Month?

April is Autism Acceptance Month. During Autism Acceptance Month, we focus on sharing positive, respectful, and accurate information about autism and autistic people.

Autism Acceptance Month promotes acceptance and celebration of autistic people as family members, friends, classmates, co-workers, and community members making valuable contributions to our world. Autism is a natural variation of the human experience, and we can all create a world which values, includes, and celebrates all kinds of minds.

In a nutshell, Autism Acceptance Month is about treating autistic people with respect, listening to what we have to say about ourselves, and making us welcome in the world.

You probably know an autistic person already. Get to know us a little bit better.

How did it get started?

Autism Acceptance Month takes place every year during April. The first Autism Acceptance Month celebrations were organized by Paula Durbin Westby in 2011, as a response to traditional “Autism Awareness” campaigns which the Autistic community found harmful and insufficient. “Autism Acceptance” as a concept has a history as long as the Autistic community itself, dating back to Jim Sinclair’s seminal classic “Don’t Mourn For Us” and perhaps most visibly popularized by Estee Klar’s “The Autism Acceptance Project.”

Why acceptance?

Because autistic people are you friends, family members, children, partners, co-workers, fellow-citizens, customers, and neighbors.

Because autism is a natural part of the human experience.

Because autistic rights are human rights.
Because autistic people can speak for ourselves, and we want you to listen to us.

Because we aren’t going anywhere.

Because this is our world too.

Because there are all kinds of minds, and this world is big enough for all of us.