Autistic, Typing

𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 #𝘼𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚?

When it comes to supporting people, we should always listen to the people we are trying to support. By listening and reserving judgement, we are open to learning. We don’t have to agree with someone to hear them; listen to understand.

𝙄𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 #𝘼𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙩𝙖𝙜?

Absolutely not! This is no more divisive than an autism diagnosis. We use labels every day to easily and effectively communicate. Think of #ActuallyAutistic as an unorganized collective of autistic people, who want all of us to be heard, not just the loudest voices. The purpose of this hashtag is to uplift autistic people, not to put down allistic (not autistic) people.

Autistics are not a monolith, and we don’t all agree on everything all the time, which is why it is important to hear a variety of autistic voices, Thus, the hashtag, where you can click and find hundreds of autistic voices, including those of us with a larger platform, and those of us who don’t. We all deserve to be heard. Our community does have a number of topics that we widely agree on, but there are some as-of-yet unresolved ideas.

The best thing about neurodiversity is the diversity!

𝙎𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙄 𝙙𝙤?

When you hear new information about autism, seek out multiple autistic perspectives on the topic. If you can’t find anything written by Autistics that addresses the topic, you can use the hashtag #AskingAutistics on social media, and you’ll receive a wealth of responses. No single autistic person has all of the answers, which is why it’s so valuable to be able to source information from many of us! Groups can also be helpful, although it may be best to observe in groups and learn the rules before posting.