People have been advocating for “Autism Awareness” for many years now. Awareness is not enough. Raising awareness is not the same as understanding, learning, changing. Awareness merely means knowing and acknowledging that something exists, it doesn’t necessarily imply a change of behaviour on the part of others. Autism Acceptance is precisely what is needed to make the transition from knowing that autism exists and (maybe) sympathising to understanding what autism is and changing one’s behaviour accordingly.
People with autism require understanding, not sympathy (it is NOT a lesser way of being), a genuine and deep appreciation on the part of others of certain struggles but also of the autistic person's unique qualities and their intrinsic value. Such acceptance also gives autistic people the chance to play an active, creative, and valued role in society. When barely 20% of people with autism in the UK are in paid employment of any kind, acceptance is imperative. Figures like these are a national scandal behind which are buried countless personal tragedies.
