Why “Acceptance” instead of “Awareness?

Autism Awareness is simply knowing that autism exists in your community, while Autism Acceptance means including and accepting autistic people for who and all that they are; recognizing that their differences are not deficiencies.

In celebration of Autism Acceptance month, this language guide has been put together to reflect the current mode of thought amongst the Neurodivergent community, based on the self-reporting of current-day autistic adults. While every person is different and should be given the choice to say which language they prefer, using this language as a default can help all autistic, neurodivergent, and disabled people and
families feel respected.

If you know an autistic person and you’re unsure how to best support them, just ask! If you’re unsure of what language to use when speaking about autism, just ask! People love to talk about themselves and appreciate being accommodated, and that goes for autistic people as much as any other person.

What is Autism?

Autism is a word used to describe neurodevelopmental differences in a person’s brain that impact how they feel, see, and understand the world around them. These differences are genetic – autism is not a disease that can be “caught” nor can it be “cured”. Autistic people look just like everyone else AND they have the same needs as everyone else – they want to be accepted and welcomed just as they are, including their differences, because their differences are a part of what makes them who they are and what makes them unique.

Acceptance is the only “cure” for autism!

Symbolism

The infinity symbol is the widely accepted symbol for Neurodiversity among most/many autistic adults. As the saying goes in the autistic community – if you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person. The infinity symbol signifies the infinite range of experiences and abilities within the autism Spectrum, highlighting the unique strengths and perspectives of autistic individuals, and moving away from the idea of autism as a “puzzle” to be solved. The infinity symbol can be gold, since Au, or the first two letters of autism, is the chemical symbol for gold. Or, it can be rendered with rainbow colors, as the rainbow is often associated with diversity and inclusion.