Autism Acceptance Month: What does Autism mean to me?
To mark the end of Autism Acceptance Month, we spoke to the Transforming Care in Autism Team and some of the service users who shared what autism means to them.
The theme of this year’s campaign was Celebrating Differences, exploring the value of neurodiversity and encouraging communities to move beyond awareness and toward genuine acceptance for autistic individuals and their families.
See below what our staff and service users had to say.
In the spirit of this year’s theme, Celebrating Differences, two carers shared what autism means to them and what they wish others understood.
“The one thing you would want people to know about autism is that it's possible to be autistic and very creative. I think things like pattern matching can lead to unexpected and creative results - for example linking unexpected words together to create an effect in a poem because of complimentary sounds. Also, 'why?' is often at the heart of the creative process and I think that many autistic people are adept at asking that, even when others don't want them to! Asking why means that the world isn't static and flat, but full of change and vibrancy - even if unlocking that can be exhausting."
“Autism means someone is a bit different, but they have values and things to offer. They tend to be good in one area, their special interest. They protect the vulnerable, have a strong sense of justice and are fair. I would like people to know that autism does not mean you are stupid. They have things they are good at. I wish people could be more understanding and that there was more awareness about autism.”
Resources:
SEL-LDA-Inpatient_BLUE_LLS_Checklist PDF.pdf
SEL LDA CRISIS_RED_LLS_Checklist_FINAL PDF.pdf
SEL LDA Community_AMBER_LLS Checklist_PDF.pdf
Adult LDA Crisis Flowchart_PDF.pdf
