Today starts the beginning of Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month, depending on how it is worded. Knowing that I have had traits at a very young age and finally being diagnosed at the age of 13, I have definitely came from the days of where those that crossed my path have needed to be aware of Autism. However 25 years later there needs to be more of a different perspective of acceptance.

I have been on this autism road longer than many people. I’ve always had the traits from a young age, but because I was more developed than what diagnostics called autism at the time, I went from place to place finding what wasn’t right with me.

Eventually in 1998, within minutes of meeting one of the experts in Asperger’s Syndrome, that was the diagnosis bestowed upon me. Eventually, I was connected to supports and experts to help make my autism manageable, yet many of the supports provided to me were uneducated about how to help me because having people who were being diagnosed as autistic was evolving and there were things that were not helpful, yet along the way skills were acquired and eventually I had to accept that there was good things in those that were trying their best with the knowledge they had at the time.

Regardless in the two decades of being an adult so much more has come to light, allowing autism to evolve to what it is today, thus bringing the challenges behind autism more understandable and manageable and allow autistic people to live successful lives that at a time decades ago was not a reality. It can be hard what things would have looked like decades ago if it had not been for our those who saw the potential beyond times when institutionalization was the norm for those who were not able to be accepted and included in society.

Much of the world today is aware of those in autism and while there are strides to go in that arena as more and more are being diagnosed, there is more of a need for the autistic population to be accepted for their challenges and the potential to look beyond what is negatively produced about autistic people by past societal norms and not seeing the potential for autistic people today.

Granted, autism is a spectrum disorder, and no two autistic people have the same challenges. We have changed from seeing autism based on functionality and basing one’s autism based on their support needs. Some autistic people may not require any support while there are many that require much support to live their daily lives. Regardless, there needs to be a need to accept autistic people and their needs for support that they need to be successful and manage their lives without passing judgement as it can at times take a lot to ask for those supports and ask for the help that they need.

Autism is something that cannot always be immediately seen or can be validated via a blood test as some would like to say. Those were brought to me when applying for benefits decades ago. Thankfully and hopefully the world has come leaps and bounds since then and we are continuing to learn every day as autism is evolving in the world.

Sometimes the world needs to let our biases go and see that autistic people while needing necessary support can be great contributing members to society and never a burden on themselves or those that support them. It is understanding that all autistic people deserve to be accepted for their challenges and everything about them, regardless of what society may think about them, they are great people.