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Celebrating Autism Acceptance Month 2024

We are halfway through Autism Acceptance Month, a month dedicated to the inclusion of all autistic people.

Below we highlight some achievements within the autism community, to amplify a range of autistic voices.

Haley Moss is an autistic advocate, public speaker, attorney, author, and artist.

Haley is the first openly autistic person to become a lawyer in the state of Florida. She started her own business in 2020 as a consultant on workplace policy surrounding neurodiversity and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Learn more about Haley on her website.

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Tee Cee is an award-winning autistic TV producer, presenter, professional speaker, writer-director, and author. In 2022, she created a short film, Too Autistic for Black, where she describes her experience as a black autistic woman and celebrates the community. Learn more about Tee Cee through her website and read about her short film here.

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Michael is an autistic comedian, actor, author, and speaker. He has spoken for TEDX, consulted on a TV show to ensure that an autistic character was represented properly, and played a neurodivergent character in the TV series Astrid & Lilly Save the World (SYFY Network). Check out Michael’s website here.

 

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Kaelynn is an autistic therapist, advocate, and speaker. Kaelynn was cast on the Netflix show Love on the Spectrum and has since used her platform to educate and share her experiences as an autistic adult. Check out her blog What Does Supporting An Autistic Person Mean? on the Art of Autism website. Learn more about Kaelynn on her Instagram.

 

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The Art of Autism website and Facebook page showcase art of all kinds from autistic creators. Artists, writers, musicians, and filmmakers are all featured and celebrated. They also have a popular blog with #actuallyautistic contributors giving their perspectives and helpful advice. Their mission is “to foster independence, self-esteem and artistic expression by participation in The Art of Autism Project”.

Learn more on their website or Facebook page.

 

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Did you know?

  • There are a range of reasons why an autistic person may have trouble communicating, from social anxiety to not being able to use their natural speaking voice.
  • It is estimated that 30% of children diagnosed with autism may never develop verbal communication (Wodka et al. 2013).
  • Autistic individuals with difficulties communicating can benefit from using electronic or paper based AAC, and some individuals may only use AAC some of the time.
  • Autistic individuals who use their verbal communication may still benefit from AAC at times; when learning language or when they feel dysregulated.
  • Autism is a lifelong condition, and autistic individuals may need supports throughout their life, though those supports may change.
  • There are a variety of reasons why someone may not use verbal communication, but it does not necessarily mean they cannot understand language.
  • Autistic people often show strengths in visual processing, so using visual supports for language such as symbols can be helpful.

In honour of Autism Acceptance Month, Grid for iPad is 50% off from

Monday 15th April – Sunday 21st April!

Grid for iPad is our touch accessible app for iOS which helps autistic people with communication difficulties express themselves and live more independently.

We recognise that autistic people have a preference for different terminology to describe themselves and autism. We have used a variety of terms, yet acknowledge that the language used may not reflect everyone’s views or own identity. As always, we are committed to representing our users’ preferences, and welcome feedback.

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