#autism advocacy month

[fallenstarcat]

sometimes i feel like people forget autism is a disability. and that’s not a bad thing! i’m all for disability acceptance, im proud of my disabilities. but i feel like we forget autism can hurt.

it hurts that i have to put more time and energy into socializing than others.

it hurts when i need to move so bad, usually cause im overwhelmed by either my surroundings or emotions, that i thrash and hurt myself.

it hurts that i cant be in places that are too loud or too bright, which on bad days can be as simple as a small, quiet noise or dim lights.

it hurts that i struggle to tell when im hungry, thirsty, tired, etc. so i can’t properly take care of myself. it doesn’t help my insomnia and i get very nauseas and get UTIs.

i 100% believe in autism acceptance. i don’t want a cure. but i also want us the acknowledge that it can hurt. it doesn’t mean my entire life will hurt, but some parts will. and i want a community where we can see both sides, see the hurt, and celebrate it anyway.

#autism #autistic #actually autistic #actually autism #autism acceptance #autism acceptence month #autistic things #autistic experiences #autistic community #autistic spectrum #autism spectrum disorder #autism spectrum #disabled #disability #disability pride #disabled pride #disabilties #autistic life #autism life #autism advocacy #neurodivergent #actually neurodiverse #neurodiversity #neurodevelopmental #developmental disabilities #developmental disability

[todayontumblr]

Tuesday April 11.

Autism Acceptance Month.

Today is Tuesday, April 11, which means we are eleven days into the 30 blessed days of #autism acceptance month, 2023 (previously known as #autism awareness month). April is the month and April 2nd is the day—World Autism Day, to be precise—and these first weeks of spring are a time for uplifting autistic voices of all identities, advocating for acceptance, progress, and sharing in the community's joy. It began back in 1972, as National Autistic Children’s Week, and was founded by The Autism Society to raise awareness and campaign for change in communities, schools, medical facilities, and businesses. And this same vital, wonderful work continues today, and not just for the month of April, of course—but every day of every year. The lived reality is that every day of every month is Autism Acceptance Month, and it is on all of us to do better.

Progress has been made, but there is still so much to be done in the struggle for equality and justice for all those living under the broad church of autism. And if these words sound hollow, then simply read the moving story of Debra Vines, of The Answer Inc., and of her autistic son Jason. She articulates everyday struggles that families can face, and the many joys they experience, too. Her message is simple, but powerful: don't give up on milestones.  

Want to know more, get involved, or donate? Here is just some of an impressive selection of charities sourced by the fine people at the Applied Behavior Analysis Programs Guide, where you can find the complete list of 20 charities and organizations:

The Asperger/Autism Network

The Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network

Autism Research Institute

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network

The Autism National Committee

Happy Tuesday, folks, and here's to better.

#today on tumblr #autism acceptance #autism acceptance month #autism awareness month #autism #aspergers #advocacy #neurodivergent #actually autistic #autistic community #autistic life #neurodiversity

[fantasy-frog]

To anybody who might see this, July in the states is disability pride month. As someone who’s past decade plus has been a journey towards understanding, accepting, and advocating for my psychological and physical disabilities and my whole life, aiding disabled family members, I want make it known that: the way many of us feel you can help us the most, is not by “pretending” we’re abled, like we’re just like everyone else, because we’re *not*

When disabilities are ignored, or treated as just “uniquely abled”, it falls on the disabled to maintain abled people’s comfort; to make our disabilities small, to not advocate for equity and the bettering of our lives in a supposedly equal society.

Equality is not equity.

Differences must be acknowledged, understood, and worked around *by abled people* for any true progress to be made.

Most people think this is government related. I know abled people as individuals can’t change that there’s little to no wheel chair access in their bustling city, that the sidewalks are cracked and filled with lips. An abled person can’t make public schools treat autistic kids with humanity, or children with memory-relates disabilities able to always have notes for their exams. They can’t make the employers stop firing us, or the government give us our right to marriage when living under SSI.

What I’m asking for is Empathy. True empathy. The kind that informs your beliefs, and actions. Talk to disabled people. Get to know them. I promise you, you have a disabled person in your family or social circle. Really be inquisitive about their experiences, struggles, and frustrations.

Acknowledge your privilege. Your ease of access to the world. Really sit in it. Absorb it. Your empathy will only grow. And when enough abled people do even just this, the world for us becomes less hostile. It becomes more livable. We become no longer burdens, but cherished by our communities, our families and friends. And trust me, even though the world is not built for me, and I have to consistently jump through 10,000 hoops to achieve even the smallest of victories for an abled person, and my body hurts and breaks down, so I get in a chair on wheels, or get out my cane, or put on my noise cancelling headphones, and just come across obstacle after obstacle -

The majority of the pain comes from the stares. The glances. The questioning. The points when you see the patience leave the eyes of the one who you thought loved you unconditionally, and you remember your place in our collective culture. And fuck man. You recall how workable all the bureaucracy and hurdles felt, how manageable it was to push forward (it’s what you always do) … before you were reminded of where you sit on the totem poll, and how conditional worth is in our society.

Disabled people are worthy. We are valuable. But we need you to believe it, or nothing will ever change.

#disability #please reblog #disability pride month #important #disabled #disabilties #disability rights #advocacy #autism #ADHD #wheel chair friendly #wheel chair users #invisible disability #cane user #mental illness #chronic illness #disability awareness #disability awareness month

[schwarzkopfvampire]

Happy autism month; if you self-proclaimed “autism mommies” ACTUALLY cared about autistic ppl you would buy me this full sized 1:1 replica of Sputnik 1 btw

#autism #autistic community #actually autistic #autistic acceptance #autistic acceptance month #neurodivergent #actually neurodivergent #special interest #hyperfixiating #autistic positivity #autistic culture #autism special interest #autism appreciation month #autism advocacy #actually neurodiverse #actuallyautistic #autistic #satellite #satellites #sputnik #sputnik 1 #Sputnik I

[gynecologistmsfrizzle]

“what to tell a doctor to get an autism diagnosis” “here’s what i learned from realizing i was autistic at 40″ “i would never want a professional diagnosis” “person first language is so regressive” “autism symptoms are only a problem because of ableism” “we dont need treatment” “no autistic person wants a cure” “four doctors told me i couldn’t be autistic so i found a fifth” “autism is an invisible disability” “dont disclose your neurodivergency to employers” “i/dd and autism have nothing to do with each other” “nt parents/advocates have no place in autism communities” “of course im autistic have you heard me talk about horror movies” babe i have nothing in common with any of you

#completely insane that i will go on autism twitter and somehow i am ''low functioning'' compared to the rest of the people on there. #what are you TALKING about. dont disclose your ''neurodivergency'' to your doctors?? autism is an invisible disability? #we live on different planets. like i think we live on different planets. #sorry but i am twenty two years old and my mother has a fippa exemption to access all my medical info bc if she did not #i would not be able to access healthcare. #the only reason i can live away from home is because i have a cell phone and internet and can keep in touch w family. #my legal government address is my father's house where i have not lived for seven years #because if an important document gets sent to my apartment i will lose it or forget about it and i know this because it's happened. #like ... yeah ! autism IS a spectrum ! and you are not doing such a good job recognizing and supporting people who are #in very different places on that spectrum than you ! #it is. i mean it's kind of a form of hermeneutical injustice to argue that there is no meaningful difference between various groups #of autistic people #like yeah functioning labels suck ASS. also you DO need to be able to identify that there ARE people who need more support #because if you can't name that then you are going to forget that they exist #and i see that all the time. it's aspie supremacy by another name #by erasing people who did not have the privilege of self-diagnosing #who do not have the privilege not to disclose #who do not have the privilege of independent self-advocacy #you are going to end up achieving the same thing that actively dismissing those people achieves #like. i dunno. like i said it's completely bonkers in yonkers that EYE and the UNIVERSITY DEGREE EYE WILL BE GETTING IN TWO MONTHS #and my LEASE and my RESPECTABLE RESUME and my INCOMING SOCIAL WORK LICENSE #feel alienated by the default presumptions the ''autistic community'' seems to operate from about how autistic people function #like jfc if i feel erased and unwelcome then how are you EVER going to make your community accessible and helpful #to people who need miles more support than i do?? #rhi talks #autie tag

[aviationgeek2024]

For my Son!!!

“Don’t judge what you don’t know!”

#autism #actually autistic #autistic things #autistic adult #autistic artist #autistic experiences #autistic community #autistic nsft #autistic agere #autistic spectrum #being autistic #autism awareness #autism acceptance #autism art #autism acceptence month #autism assessment #autism and adhd #autism advocacy #autism at its finest #autism advice #autism activated

[a-moment-captured]

Thru his giggling, he looked at all his messages and wanted to say thank you (even to every message he got) so I convinced him to do one big one!

Thank y’all for always caring about my baby boy because he can see how much y’all mean to his mama! Not just the ones I tag but all of you! ❤️

@heavyhitterheaux @harlowsbby @harlowcomehome @nattinatalia @neon-lights-and-glitter @babiefries @labella420 @hoodharlow

#life with Coit #happy birthday Coit #autism advocacy #autism #autism acceptance #autism acceptence month #autism and adhd #adhd #adhd acceptance #love #happy birthday #autism parenting #autism kids #autism awareness #autism warrior

[weirdmorefics]

I know I haven’t posted in a long time but I just wanted to share with you all I was on my local news!!! I’m very excited 🤗

#disability #disability pride flag #disability pride month #disability pride #autism #actually disabled #actually autistic #disability rights #disability activism #disability acceptance #activism #disabled #disability advocacy

[qbdatabase]

This book is about what it means to be a part of the autistic community. Autistic people wrote this book. Some autistic people are just learning about their autism. We wanted to welcome them and give them a lot of important information all in one place.

This book talks about what autism is and how it affects our lives. It talks about our history, our community, and our rights. We wrote this book in plain language so that more people can understand it.

We wrote this book for autistic people, but anyone can read it. If you are not autistic, this book can help you support autistic people you know. If you are wondering whether you might be autistic, this book can help you learn more. If you are autistic, think you might be autistic, or if you want to better understand autistic people, this book is for you.

Welcome to the autistic community!

(You can also download a PDF of this title for free from the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network who published it!)

#Welcome to the Autistic Community #Autistic Self-Advocacy Network #ASAN #actually autistic #autistic #autistic rep #transgender #nonbinary #poc #adult books #daily book #nonfiction #lgbt nonfiction #lgbtqia #bookblr #autism acceptance month #autism acceptance

[sweetbunnicreations]

My Special Interests in honour of #AutismAcceptanceMonth 🥰🌷

#autism acceptence month #autism awareness #autism advocacy #autistic life #actually autistic #autistic joy

[frillability]

Ask An Autistic #5 - What is ABA?

Listen to Actually Autistic people during Autism Acceptance Month and everyday when it comes to the Autistic experience. Here's a video by Amythest Schaber, an activist and educator whose videos helped me before and after my diagnosis seven years ago. Due to being diagnosed late in life, I was mainstreamed, and thankfully, I never experienced ABA. The following information is what I have learned from Autistic individuals who have.

ABA is obviously a controversial topic, but without a doubt, many Autistic survivors of ABA agree that ABA is without a doubt harmful, even when the intent isn't harm.

There are better options for therapy for Autistic children and adults that that do not lead to post traumatic stress, but due to racism and classism, not everyone can afford to make those choices. Sometimes ABA is a family's only choice.

You are not a bad parent if you've chosen ABA because that's what's been suggested to you or what's been forced on you. Certain harmful organisations have a strong hold on the industry, and there aren't enough loud voices breaking through the noise yet.

I urge anyone interested to watch more of Amythest's videos. They aren't active at this time to my best knowledge, but they have a wonderful amount of relevant information about Autism as an Autistic individual.

#actually autistic #autism acceptance month #autism #autistic #autism awareness #autistic community #autistic adult #autistic advocacy #disability #frillability #amythest schaber #ask an autistic #video post #text post #Youtube #aba tw #aba therapy

[titan-god-helios]

30 days of autism acceptance: day 1

[1 April: The typical introduction question! Tell us something about yourself. If you can't think of anything, try these: What do you enjoy to do in your free time? What music or series/show do you like? Are you happy with your current living situation/the people you live with? What's one of your favourite foods?]

hi all !! my name's ash, i go by all pronouns (prefer they/them), i'm pansexual, nonbinary and audhd (self dx). in my free time, i usually read or play videogames, and sometimes i'll do some art for myself although i treat it more as fun work otherwise nothing ever gets finished that i start on! at the moment, i'm reading the series of unfortunate events by lemony snicket (on book ten - the slippery slope - and about 2/3 through), i absolutely adore mitski, ichika nito (guitar soloist, math rock style), any form of rock although i prefer heavier rock//(death) metal, jazz, electroswing, LOTS of musicals (where are my hamilfans ????) indie music aaand i like a lot of punk-rock type rap too, from artists like grandson, call me karizma and so on (does that classify as rap ?? im really bad at naming genres so there's another thing <3). i'll link my main playlist here for you to listen if you're interested !! in terms of shows, i never tend to finish anything fully because i easily get bored of shows halfway through unless i really enjoy some aspect of them BUT that being said, i'm working my way through rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles currently (tmnt has always been a comfort franchise for me), and some previous shows i adored are arcane, the umbrella academy, aggretsuko, and bits and bobs of david attenborough's wildlife documentaries//docuseries on netflix. the people i live with are okay for the most part - my mum has taken a huge toll on my mental health and so has my dad, although honestly speaking i prefer him to her simply because he acknowledges that he's done that and respects me as a person (most of the time). my sister is great although i feel bad for being annoyed by her a lot of the time because, due to the day in and day out stress my mum gives, im either burnt out, in sensory overload, having a shutdown (i rarely have meltdowns most likely due to trauma reasons and also how i just naturally process emotion) but other than the bad stuff, i have it good in terms of living conditions. bonus points for my wonderful boyfriend @paracosmicboy who makes it so much better on the daily <333 i love cooking and baking and anything in the kitchen !! its my happy place and sososo good for grounding or distraction when im in a bad place, plus i get yummy food and the satisfaction of a completely clean living space when i'm all done !! really makes me feel good and in control (something i don't have a lot of in my day to day life and it stresses me out beyond compare). speaking of food, i don't really have any favourites in particular since i adore a lot of food from many different cuisines and people (i'm sensory seeking in that respect and was only a picky eater when i was really little). THAT BEING SAID, give me some sushi and udon noodle soup, or any type of comforting asian food, and im at home instantly (i'm half asian and despite my complicated relationship with my mum, her cooking is supreme above all others (apart from certain traditional greek dishes that my dad cooks) and it always makes me feel a little happier than i was before i ate it, and it reminds me of all the good moments with my mum instead of the bad - its magical). aaand yeah !! this is already really long so i'm gonna stop typing now <3 have a wonderful day my lovelies !!

#30daysofautismacceptance #2023 #being autistic #actually autistic #autism #asd #actually asd #long post #long reads #infodump #neurodivergent writer #neurospicy #its the neurodivergency #neurodivergent #neurodivergencies #neurodiversity #neurodiverse stuff #autism acceptence month #autism awareness #autistic advocacy #autistic experiences #self diagnosis #self diagnosed autism #self dx #rottmnt #the umbrella academy #tua #tmnt #asian #greek

[yourlocalcryingcryptid]

Help! I need ideas for a shirt

I've been asked to design a few mock up shirts in honor of autism acceptance month and I've got a couple of drafts so far but if anyone has any additional ideas or inspo posts that'd be much appreciated!

 Designs/phrases/slogans to avoid would also be amazing! I know to avoid puzzle pieces and just kida like,,, everything to do with autism speak as well as stuff saying: ‘‘autisms a superpower ((:” ‘‘Normal is boring >:)” etc...

Thank yall ❤🖤❤🖤❤🖤

#still dont know wether or not ive got a tpuch of the 'tism or adhd or ocd or ptsd or some other acronym or if im just lying to myself #but thats a conversation for some other time #autistic artist #autistic spectrum #autistic adult #autistic experiences #autistic things #autistic women #being autistic #autism #actually autistic #autism assessment #autism acceptence month #autism advocacy #autism accommodations #autism acceptance #wear red instead #autistic community #neurodivergencies #neurodivergent #neurodiverse artist #neurodivergent experiences #neurodiversesquad #neurodiversity #neurodivergency #neurodivergent solidarity #autistic stimming #autistic queer #autisim #sensory

[diagnosed-weird]

I have an Etsy shop!

I'm selling stickers that I've hand drawn, and the first four I have up, with the infinity moons, half of the proceeds will go to ASAN (Autistic Self Advocacy Network).

#autistic adult #neurodivergence #autistic feels #actually autism #its the neurodivergency #actuallyautistic #autism awareness #autistic #autism #actually autistic #autism acceptance #autism acceptence month #autism awareness month #autistic positivity #autistic community #autism self advocacy network #donations

[panuccispizza]

for my fellow autistic/depressed/mentally ill people who have bad dental hygiene, my dentist got me onto this stuff right here. he said it will help rebuild enamel and whiten my teeth, and it worked. I literally didn't believe that toothpaste could ever work like it does in the commercials but I'm not even half way into the tube and I see noticeable differences. I've used it for like 3 weeks now and my teeth look stronger and shinier??? the mint flavor isn't bad either it's like a solid 5/10 on mint, it only barely burns my mouth.

I know ur disability is disabling but just once a day when you go pee before bed.. do it I promise dental health is so worth it.

images description : Crest Pro-Health Densify Daily Protection toothpaste

#idk how ro image description im sorry #it's tru tho #autism #depression #mental health #self care #disability advocacy #i brush my teeth with a softer-medium bristle brush and just stare into rhe sink or watch tiktok to pass the time #front+back up+down inside & just going in circles #i only use a little water to rinse my tounge and clean off mt mouth no mouthwash #ive also used apple cidar vinegar abt 2 times a month to help with whitening and disinfecting