Representation matters not just in media, but in our communities. Autistic kids need access to autistic adults. They need to see their ways of being in the room with them. They need to know that they are not alien. Feeling alien is a slow death. Communicating with autistic role models in our own language is a powerful and validating instillation against alienation.
Autistic kids need access to autistic communities. They need access to autistic mentors. They need to know that the problems they go through are actually common for many of us! They need to know they are not alone. They need to know that they matter and people care about them.
They need to see autistic adults out in the world being accommodated and understood and respected. They need to learn how to understand their own alexithymia and their own emotions. They need to be able to recognize themselves in others. They need to be able to breathe.
AutisticSciencePerson
I know these things—and so many more—because I have found autistic community and the knowledge and support that come with it—and this makes me less alone.
Sincerely, Your Autistic Child: What People on the Autism Spectrum Wish Their Parents Knew About Growing Up, Acceptance, and Identity
More children than ever before are being diagnosed with autism. But what about the adults? Some of these individuals have never been diagnosed but have always known they were a bit “different.” Others were diagnosed but did not have the same degree of societal acceptance or the same number of resources available to help them cope with a neurotypical world.
Now this group of adults is the demographic that best understands what people with autism need, whether or not they know how to articulate it in a way the rest of society is able to grasp. But what these men and women have to say about autism is important. These people need to be heard!
The video below encourages adults with autism to get involved in the discussion and asks others to be cognizant of the needs of people with autism and invite them into the conversation. The neurotypical community needs adults with autism to lend their voices and experiences to help make the future brighter for the next generation!
Check out this powerful video!
This Video Demonstrates What It’s Like to Be an Autistic Adult Who Isn’t Being Heard | The Autism Site Blog
Parents of autistic children: this short video is a great example of the insights you can gain about your children if you listen to the experiences of autistic adults. We can help you understand – if you listen.
Understanding the perspectives and experiences of autistic children and adults in particular was essential. Time and again I found that issues aired say, by teachers, would be completely reframed when the autistic adults discussed the same points.
Inclusive Education for Autistic Children: Helping Children and Young People to Learn and Flourish in the Classroom
Catapult | Catapult | The Greatest Challenge of Raising an Autistic Child as an Autistic Parent? The Ableist World We Live In | Lu Everman
There is no greater resource for neurotypical parents of Autistic children than the members of their own community. When parents come to me terrified, convinced there is no viable future for their precious children, this is where I send them: to those who not only wait to welcome our children with open arms, but who so willingly guide us as we make our way along this winding, rocky, beautiful path together. They know, like no one else possibly can, of what they speak.
Sincerely, Your Autistic Child: What People on the Autism Spectrum Wish Their Parents Knew About Growing Up, Acceptance, and Identity
