Skip to main content

News and Knowledge

This Autism Acceptance Month, I want to challenge us, as a community, to take the steps necessary to go beyond acceptance and towards the true appreciation of autistic individuals.  

Just as awareness is seen differently from acceptance, so too, is acceptance from appreciation. The difference between acceptance and appreciation is not “just semantical”, but rather important, with crucial implications. We must begin to realize that acceptance is the bare minimum and that we can do better to support the autism community.

Awareness is acknowledging that bridges exist. Acceptance is tolerating these bridges’ existence. Appreciation is actively taking steps to strengthen and grow these bridges to better understand and support them.  

To contrast acceptance and appreciation:  

  • Acceptance is hiring because you must, while appreciation is hiring because you want. 
  • Acceptance is speaking on behalf of autistic people while appreciation is empowering autistics to live a life of self-determination. 
  • Acceptance is helping communities survive. Appreciation is helping communities thrive. 
  • Acceptance is the bare minimum given the research, testimonies, tools, technology, and knowledge at our disposal. Appreciation is going above and beyond to build and strengthen bridges with the autistic community. 

Some ways we can move beyond the mere acceptance of autism include: 

  1. Engaging with the autistic community. This can include listening to webinars, talks, podcasts, and panels featuring autistic speakers and following autistic voices and content creators on social media. 
  2. Checking out the resources on various autism-friendly websites.  
  3. Donating to autism-friendly charities and organizations (OAR, AANE, ASAN…) 
  4. Utilizing universal design in the workplace and strengths-based approaches to learning within the household, education, and employment. 
  5. Ensure your organization’s website is accessible; including alt-text for photos, closed captions for videos, compatible colors, and the like. 
  6. Listen to your autistic family members, friends, and colleagues.  
  7. Ask questions (rather than making assumptions). 
  8. Let autistic people lead the discussion and conversation around autism.  

This autism acceptance month, I challenge us, as a society, to move beyond mere acceptance and into the true appreciation of autistic individuals. To start building and strengthening these bridges! 


Ben VanHook is an AuDHD (autistic and ADHD) master’s student at George Mason University studying public policy and is currently employed at the Organization for Autism Research as the Community Support Coordinator.

 

 

 


This content was written by Ben VanHook in his personal capacity. The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely his as of the date of the publication and are subject to change. They do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Organization for Autism Research (OAR).