ALL AUTISTIC PEOPLE AREN'T THE SAME

Justin Gadbury

Reporter for Tink Tank Animate 

Autism has come a far way this past half-century. Not too long ago, we barely scratched the surface of our knowledge of what autism is. People were often misdiagnosed with other disorders or were not diagnosed at all. And those who were diagnosed with autism were often looked down on. Since then, we've made big advancements in the autism field with therapy, education, equal opportunities, and the public's knowledge. But we can do more to educate non-autistic people on how to communicate and their perspective toward people with autism. 

Most people talk to autistic people in a baby voice or speak to us slowly and carefully, making some of us feel stupid and small. I'm not just talking about the public. I'm also referring to educators and social workers who were specifically trained to work with people with disabilities. Some people with autism prefer people to talk to them carefully and have a baby voice, but we all aren't the same. 
Because of this, I usually don't tell people that I'm autistic. I seem to find that when people don't know that I'm autistic, they talk and treat me like an equal. There are two ways, in my opinion, on how to fix this issue.

1.To educate people that every autistic person isn't the same and we're all unique and different. That there's an autism of severity scale. ​
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​2.Get to know us. Talk to us in a soft voice when you first meet us. When you get to know us a little more, start deciding from your experience with us which one of us you should keep that baby voice with and which people not to keep it with. You can also ask us our preference on how we like to be talked to. With this change of approach towards autistic people, I believe that we won't feel different but feel like equals.    
​With these steps taken I believe that society will be left off in a better place.



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