It Starts With Me

Autism awareness and acceptance starts with me. Being aware of my own autism and accepting it helps me be kinder and more accepting of other people’s differences.

• Autism acceptance and awareness is the first step toward making the world more accepting of differences of all kinds.

• I am grateful for my autism diagnosis since it means I’m not just quirky by myself or different and alone. It means that I belong to a larger group that shares similar characteristics.

• I find having an autism diagnosis encouraging since I can look towards other people who have autism like me and have been successful.

• Having autism gives me the freedom to define my own unique standards of success.

• Having autism means that I understand the interconnectedness of all people to each other much more than if I didn’t have autism.

• Having autism means that I don’t get stuck on the goal of being independent so much as learning to be interdependent. I think is much more realistic. After all, no person is an island.

• Having autism means for me that I need to take the scenic way rather than the expressway to my destination. I still get there but it may take me longer.

Autism awareness, especially the growing knowledge that Autism Spectrum Disorder is not a one size fits all description is pertinent to all. This increase In understanding gives me hope for the future.