Autistic Pride

Support Autistic content creators, artists, entrepreneurs, writers, etc. by buying, sharing, and promoting their work or business. Because, did you know? Autistic Adults exist, too! 

For April 2025, we'll be using the hashtags #AutisticPride and #AutismAcceptance - Post your content using these hashtags, and we'll be sure to share and promote your work too. If you're not sure what to create, or need some inspiration, we've got some themes and prompts for the next five weeks. 

• Beware the follies of Autism "Awareness"
• What is Neurodiversity? (pathology paradigm vs. strengths-focused, social model)
• What does ‘own voices’ mean? (why acting as an ally means shining the light on marginalized people, not oneself)
• What is the difference between identity-first language and person-first language? Why many Autistics prefer ID-first language. 
• How it makes us feel when parents and certain organizations talk about how “hard” it is to have Autistic children.
• The importance of community, what the Autistic community means to you (finding our “people”, safe spaces, mutual understanding and support, etc.). 
• CTA: a call to action for those who with to join/support our collaborative efforts in the month of April: information about how they can take part or support us. 

• Why it's important to listen to Autistics (rather than Nt parents & NT-led organizations)
• How Autistic advocates have changed the public perception of Autism
• Autistic advocates who have made a difference in the trajectory of Autistic advocacy and Autistic culture; 
• Why Autism Speaks is problematic and why Light It Up Blue (LIUB) is harmful
• Positive, neurodivergent-affirming alternatives to Autism Speaks and Light It Up Blue
• Autistics forced A$ to rebrand and switch gears; 
• Why the puzzle piece isn't ideal symbolism for Autism/Autistic people; 
• The Judge Rotenberg Centre (JRC) - why it needs to be shut down; 
• Recommended books by Autistic authors and affirming books about Autism

• What neurodiversity means; 
• What does it mean to be neurodivergent; 
• Highlight different neurotypes under the neurodivergent umbrella; 
• Why neurodiversity is important for society; 
• The history of the neurodiversity movement; 
• Neurodivergent culture and communication;
• Highlight neurodivergent advocates past and present; 
• How "neurodivergent" doesn't just mean autism and/or ADHD; 
• Mental illness is neurodivergence; 
• Lesson plan ideas for teaching students about neurodiversity

• When is a formal diagnosis appropriate and necessary or unnecessary; 
• The pros and cons of formal diagnosis; 
• Why it's important to accept informed self-diagnosis (self-identification)
• The lack of access to diagnosticians and other barriers preventing formal diagnoses; 
• Diagnostic rates and how they're reported (and the way they can be manipulated to push specific agendas);
• Personal diagnosis experiences, the aftermath of diagnosis (did it help, hurt, or both); 
• What happens after diagnosis (what should you do with that information, for yourself and/or your loved one); etc.

• Accessing services and supports as an adult; 
• Why neurodiversity matters in the workplace (neurodivergent inclusion); 
• Dating and relationships as a neurodivergent person; 
• Parenting as a neurodivergent person; 
• Personal experiences on which jobs/careers work best for your neurotype(s);
• Advocacy within our personal lives and what that looks like (navigating family, friends, coworkers, employers, neighbours, etc.); 
• How neurodivergent traits may change as we get older and gain more life experience

• Why neurodiversity acceptance is important in academic environments;
• What acceptance, access, and inclusion should look like for neurodivergent students in academic environments;
• Mainstreaming vs. segregated education: pros & cons.
• Moving away from “special” education and embracing adaptive, inclusive, and accessible education;
• Educational programs focusing on making education and academic opportunities more accessible;
• The importance of neurodivergent representation amongst educators, administrative boards, student-led organizations, etc.;
• Access to college/university and how we can help neurodivergent students thrive in post-secondary educational environments;
• Accessing supports & services in academic environments: how to do so, what they look like, what they should ideally look like, etc.;
• Commonly used terms and frequently experienced issues when dealing with creating individual educational plans for students and other education advocacy situations.

Special thanks to Giraffe Party for their hard work in developing these weekly themes, prompts, and ideas. Find more on their website at https://imapartygiraffe.com/neurodiversityvoices2023

I have free images available in my online store for download to help you celebrate Autistic pride month in style!