Zoom Autism Magazine Issue 3 Spring 2015 | Page 11

Autism acceptance, as a concept, has been around
for years; however, it wasn’t until 2011 that
autistic advocates, led by Paula Durbin Westby,
organized the first Autism Acceptance Month
celebrations. Back in 2011, I didn’t yet know that
I was autistic, but I did have an autistic son (still
do). At the time, I was all for autism acceptance.
My life centered on getting people to embrace my
son for who he was. I already believed in neurodiversity. I always said that my goal with my
kiddo was to raise a proud, happy autistic man.
Yet I spent years arguing that autism awareness
still mattered.
Why? Because I had person after person ask me,
“What is autism?” I had parents ask me. I had
teachers ask me. I had young people ask me.
They all knew the word, but they didn’t know
what it meant, how it manifested, what they
could do when encountering someone with autism.

and respect others who are different as well.
Because, see, when you don’t accept us because
of who we are, when you fight against an integral
part of our beings, when you teach people to be
aware of autism so that they can try to eradicate
it, you are telling us that we are less than people,
that the world doesn’t belong to us too, and that
is simply not the case!
At this point, I am actually waiting for Autism
Celebration Month, but for now, accepting it
will do.

The Winegardner sibs: Jack, Sam and Quinn

While I still answer those questions and clarify
what autism is to people who don’t understand, I
no longer believe that we should strive for awareness. I don’t much care if you know which of my
or my son’s behaviors makes us autistic. What
I want is for you to show us respect and acceptance when we act or think differently than you
expect.
It can no longer be enough to tell parents the
signs of autism so that they can look for it in their
children. It can no longer be enough for teachers
to be able to recognize autism when they see it.
It can no longer be enough for society to think of
us in terms of some fuzzy awareness campaign.
What we need is to be valued for who we are,
what we are, regardless of how we are. We need
to be supported without being forced to change.
When I talk to kids as I did at my son’s school,
I tell them what makes someone autistic, but I
don’t stop there. I tell them how to accept autistic
people into their lives and schools and hearts.
I always end by telling them that the best way
to help people with autism is to make a world
where it is okay to be different. I tell them to be
unique themselves, and I tell them to celebrate

Jean Winegardner is a married, autistic mom
to three delightfully neurodiverse sons. She
lives with her family in Maryland and works
as the office manager for the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. She enjoys movies, reading,
running, and small, amusing rodents.

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