Let’s Celebrate Autism Acceptance Month With Inclusion

April is Autism Acceptance Month. These days, neurodiversity is discussed more openly than ever before. Yet, neurodiversity is not something that goes away after April ends.

We have come a long way in terms of autism acceptance. Many workplaces and colleges have integrated neurodiversity initiatives, including a few bold ones such as interview alternatives (like presenting a work sample or pre-recording a video) to accommodate autistic candidates. Individuals such as Greta Thurnberg, Elon Musk, and Dan Akroyd are challenging stereotypes of what it means to be autistic as they have stepped forward about their experiences.

Still, isolation, exclusion, and loneliness remain all too common experiences for autistic people. Some research suggests that over 90 percent of autistic youth experience bullying during their school career (Humphrey and Hebron, 2015). Autistic adults often struggle with maintaining friendships and are at a heightened risk of exploitation by those who call themselves "friends" (Pearson et al., 2022).

Autistic adults are more likely to experience unemployment and difficulty finding work than other disability groups (Wei et al., 2018). These difficulties do not always reflect a lack of skill or education, but autistic adults often struggle with the interview portion of the job search. Autistic individuals are at higher risk of death by suicide than their neurotypical peers, and research shows that many feel a sense of thwarted belonging and of being burdensome to others (Pelton et al., 2020).

So, as we move through April, maybe we can take a moment and consider what greater acceptance of autistic individuals could look like. A ribbon can signal support. Still, if that person wearing a ribbon chooses against a job candidate due to some literal speech and lack of eye contact in a job interview or encourages their child to play with a different playmate when they bring home a new friend who talks extensively about different types of bugs and keeps taking their shoes off, are we supporting autism acceptance?

Most people don't walk around with a diagnosis tag on their back, yet the majority of us encounter at least one neurodivergent person each day (or are neurodivergent ourselves). Embracing neurodiversity is about more awareness but also appreciation and celebration.

You don't have to ask if someone has a diagnosis (in fact, some might prefer you don't) or get hip on the newest terms to embrace differences. Acceptance often looks like kindness.

If you see someone struggling to put their thoughts into words, it makes sense to offer a chair and some space while slowing down. Maybe even handing over a piece of paper and a pen to draw or explain in an attempt to bridge the hurdles.

If someone is asking for extra help, rather than assuming that person is lazy, recognize that people have different experiences of things. Something that might come easily to one person might be overwhelming to another, including many with disabilities.

Acceptance can look like recognizing when a person is distressed, even if what they are bothered about isn't getting to you. For example, for some, tuning out the background noise during a conversation is 10 times more difficult than others. Some people are truly stubborn, but others genuinely get stuck on things such as unexpected changes. When they get to the pharmacy and learn that their medication refill will be delayed an extra day, their mental picture and plan could be upset. To some, this is no big deal, but for others, it can be a tipping point into a meltdown. It's easy to make assumptions.

Autism acceptance is about suspending judgment and working with someone to find solutions.

Autism represents a difference in brain structure and connectivity between brain regions (Benkarim et al., 2021). Some people experience the world differently, which is pretty cool, given that different ways of thinking bring innovation and creativity.

So this April (and after), in celebration of autism acceptance month, perhaps practice kindness and embrace individual differences. You never know who you might meet or what you might learn. Inclusion benefits us all.