Hi!!! A message to parents of autistic children out there:

April is #AutismAwareness Month, a time when many autistic people feel marginalized from our own narrative. You’ll see us pushing back & speaking out.

That’s not about you. THANK YOU for everything you do. We see you.

It’s this funny thing. Often autism groups see our demands to be centered in what they do as shouting “Me! Me! Me!” Not at all.

It’s that we know the million nuances about autism that others can’t see unless they live it. We see paths forward that others can’t recognize as well.

And we acutely see how parents of autistic kids don’t have the information & resources they need. We feel that deeply because we’ve felt it from our perspective as well.

Autistic children grow up to be autistic adults. Many of us are parents & grandparents ourselves. We get it.

So, we are like “Hey! This is URGENT.” We don’t have time to keep guessing things about autistic people. Put us on your autism group boards. Put us on your staff. Make sure we are there making decisions with you. We can fill in the gaps.

I always say that the best thing about being an autistic adult is being friends w/ people who have autistic kids. I get to be a bridge & interpreter between the two. I relate to my friends as adults and their kids as autisitic.

I love when I can help friends solve for mysteries.

But, I can only do so much. I’m one person. I have limited capacity. Still, each week I find myself having dinners w/ friends-of-friends, answering emails, phone calls, replying to messages and texts - all from parents with questions.

I have answers as an autisic person...

Imagine if autism organizations had autistic leadership. All those questions I answer for parents as an individual (and that other autistic people do as well) could then be answered AT GREATER SCALE by organizations. Imagine the lives that would transform.

Let’s do that.

So, when we speak out & push back, we do it for you and for us. We’re in this together. We believe you deserve so much more.

Parents are amazing. I wish I could send you bottles of wine or passes to the spa. You deserve to have autism orgs who can help you better understand us.

It’s hard to express all that when we’re speaking out against things which need to be fixed. But, that’s our goal. We have you in mind along with us.

Thanks for doing what you do. Happy #AutismAcceptance Month!