Autism Acceptance Month
It’s Autism Acceptance Month. I don’t know what to say anymore; the year is a revolving door of months that highlight another marginalized community; to present their contributions, advocacy of human rights, and history. It’s a constant plea to be seen as human. Here we are again: Autism Acceptance Month. A month hoping to spike interest in dismantling the discrimination and subhuman treatment of Autistics. To get people to dismantle Abelist behaviors and hopefully change the world do be more inclusive and accommodating.
My contribution for the month “the sticky wicket of Vocabulary and other language considerations:
Avoid labels like “low-functioning” and “high-functioning” instead think of it as a spectrum of support people with higher or lower support needs.
Avoid: words like Handicapped/handicapable, Differently Abled, the r-word, special needs
Some folks prefer Identity First Language: example (Autistic person). Identity first language purposes that Autism is just as part of a human identity and not something they have that needs to be removed or cured.
Some folks prefer Person First Language: (Person with Autism) some people want to be seen as Autistic second to their person. Different strokes for different folks.
- Allistic: People who are not Autistic
- Neurodivergent: people whose brains are different than what is considered typical.
- Ableism: discrimination in favor of able-bodied people.
- AuHD: People who are Autistic and ADHD
Remember language is tricky and not everyone agrees on how we want to be identified. Give each other grace.
Jene Conrad, Program Coordinator Student Alliance Community
Reading 📚
In I Will Die on This Hill, authors Meghan Ashburn and, Jules Edwards unite both perspectives, exploring the rift between these communities and encouraging them to work towards a common goal. It provides context to dividing issues, and the authors use their experience to illustrate where they've messed up, where they've got things right, and what they've learned along the way.
Listening to 🎧
Autistic people are often marked out as different by others around them; culturally speaking, there is an emphasis on conforming, being ‘normal’, as well as not stepping out of line. Not Neurotypical shows that difference is to be celebrated and loved, not chastised and punished. There are occasional interviews but other episodes relate to specific experiences which are turned into honest accounts. Burnout is a hot topic among freelancers right now – but people hardly talk about burnout among Autistic people and Autistic style burnout.
