Emphasizing Strengths, not Weaknesses or Cures for People with Autism

With support, people with autism can live interdependently, and work and be productive members of our communities. Autism has many unique advantages for people.

For example, research has shown that some people with autism outperform others on auditory and visual tasks. There are many jobs out there that give people with autism an advantage. For example, if someone has a narrow focus on video games or politics, that intense interest could one day turn into a job.

Many people with autism may be super sensitive to noise and rely on predictable routines. However, we are parents, siblings, neighbors, students, workers, bloggers and volunteers. Each person experiences autism in different ways and at different intensities. One popular saying that I promote is that if you meet a person with autism, you have only met one person with autism. No two people with autism are the same.

Here are some ideas for promoting autism acceptance:

1 Write your life story. No matter who you are, you have a story worth telling.

2 Tell people the important things you do for others. If you’re a person living with autism, sharing your story will help people understand the experiences of people with disabilities. Your story shows how you can accomplish your dreams.

3 Always project a positive image. Talk about the unique gifts of people with autism. Do not be deficit focused. Focus on what they can do, not what they can’t do.

4 Host events to spread the word about gifts and talents of people with autism to employers and the community at large.

5 Make sure that all of your acceptance efforts are based on highlighting and protecting the rights of people with autism and other disabilities.

6 Recognize that neurotypicals and people with autism are more alike than different. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed that many people with or without autism have difficulty dealing with sudden major changes, uncertainty, unpredictability, and dealing with the constant urge of needing to be in control of one’s environment.

7 People do not suffer from autism. We suffer from the ableist attitudes and low expectations of society.

8 Autism is not a disease that needs curing. We need access to a comprehensive person centered service HCBS (Home and Community Based Services) system across the lifespan without roadblocks or IQ limits.

9 Refrain from using terms like high or low functioning. Functioning labels are harmful because they are often used to deny access to needed supports and services. In addition, it denies or minimizes our

challenges on a day to day basis in all aspects of life including but not limited to community living, employment, activities of daily living, mental health support, dealing with trauma, transportation and so forth.

10 Support self determination and dignity of risk, especially as kids move from school to adulthood.

11 Educate communities and employers on the unique strengths, talents that people with autism bring to the 21st century workforce.

12 Be trauma sensitive, especially as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

13 Create sensory friendly environments, especially in the areas of medical care, employment, and things like COVID-19 vaccine initiatives.

14 As part of being a strong ally call out ableism and gaslighting when you see it.

15 Encourage businesses, disability organizations, and non-profits to hire people with autism, not just offer services to them.

16 Advocate for systems change that is personcentered and supports people with disabilities to live in the community to the greatest extent possible.

17 Educate others and state policymakers on why IQ limits are not person centered.

18 Include people with Autism Spectrum Disorder in professional roles on research and systems change.

19 Champion Supportive Typing and all AAC (Alternative Augmentative Communication.) Communication is a civil right regardless of whether the method is evidence based or not!

20 Offer support in an empathic non-judgmental

22 Focus on minimizing stressful situations and settings as much as possible.

23 When communicating, don’t use figures of speech like jump in a lake.

24 Support people with autism who find it difficult to self-regulate especially during times of chaos and uncertainty, whether it be at work or in life in general.

25 Celebrate the gifts, joys and talents of adults with autism.

As we slowly come out of hibernation after a long COVID winter, it is important that we remember the lessons learned and make COVID-19 policy innovations part of the new normal. This includes things like Appendix K waiver flexibility (which includes actions that states can take under the home and community-based waiver authority in order to respond to an emergency, telehealth, remote job coaching, tutoring, and more 1:1 individualized services). Many people don’t want to go back to 100% of our pre-COVID normal. For instance, day programs and segregated settings increase the risk of catching COVID more than person centered community based settings. Just going to a building to sit around and do repetitive tasks all day is not person centered. We must use this crisis to create a world that is more autism friendly, especially when it comes to sensory issues. To support people with autism and other vulnerable populations post COVID, we should have hours at stores set aside just for people with autism and other chronic issues.