April 2nd is World Autism Day. In previous years, autism groups used blue lights
and puzzle pieces to show support for an autism cure and awareness for the
autism community. Unfortunately, this missed the mark and rarely included the
feelings of those with autism. It focused more on neurotypical’s viewpoints and
what they wanted. This created a lot of stress for autistics who did not feel they
needed fixing. They wanted acceptance and understanding.
Now we are switching our color to red to show love and an infinity symbol to
better represent our acceptance of all neurodiversity, races, abilities, disabilities,
genders and inclusion of all humanity.
We are seeing autism through a more positive lens, changing the language we use
to be more hopeful and optimistic. We are looking at contributions autistics
make in our society. We are listening to autistic voices. We are joining Autistic
communities with positive identities and asking them how they feel about their
differences and the best way to support them.
We are looking deeply at our actions and words and making changes more in line
with autism acceptance, celebrating the differences. With proper supports and
valuing of autistic voices and concerns we can improve the quality of life for many. Let’s make autism pride happen every day, not just for one day
or one month of the year.
