Not Broken
Embracing Neurodiversity and Centering Autistic Voices
Autism has always been a part of the human story. For a long time, though, it’s been misunderstood or seen as something to “fix.” That view is starting to change as more autistic people share their stories and help us see things differently. Instead of focusing only on awareness, we’re learning to embrace acceptance—recognizing autism as a natural way of being and making our communities more welcoming for everyone. This article looks at what that shift means, why neurodiversity matters, and how centering autistic voices can make life better for all of us.
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Recognizing autism as a natural way of being, rather than something to cure or fix. Acceptance focuses on valuing autistic people, respecting their needs, and making environments supportive and inclusive.
Example: A school adjusts lighting and noise levels in classrooms to support sensory needs rather than expecting autistic students to “tough it out.” -
Knowing about autism and recognizing that autistic people exist. Awareness campaigns often focus on facts, statistics, or symptoms, but don’t always lead to meaningful understanding or change.
Example: Seeing a social media post during Autism Awareness Month that shares basic facts about autism. -
An autistic person who speaks up for their own rights and needs, or works to improve understanding and support for autistic people. They often share their experiences, lead projects, or influence policy and community practices.
Example: An autistic adult speaking at a community event about how to make public spaces more sensory-friendly. -
An approach, practice, or belief system that respects neurodiversity and does not aim to “normalize” neurodivergent people. It focuses on supporting individuals in ways that build on their strengths and honor their differences.
Example: A therapist who helps an autistic client find communication methods that work best for them instead of pushing only verbal speech. -
A term describing people whose brain development and functioning differ from what is considered typical. This can include autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and more.
Example: An autistic child processes sound and light differently than his neurotypical sibling and prefers to be in dimly-lit and quiet spaces throughout the day. -
The idea that human brains naturally develop and work in different ways, just like physical traits vary. Neurodiversity emphasizes that these differences are normal and valuable parts of human variation.
Example: A community event that highlights the creative contributions of autistic artists, writers, and inventors as part of celebrating neurodiversity. -
A term used to describe people whose brain development and functioning align with what society considers typical. It is often used in contrast with “neurodivergent.”
Example: A neurotypical child might find it easy to tolerate a loud classroom environment, while an autistic classmate may need noise-canceling headphones.
Autism is Not New
While the initial identification of autism is attributed to Leo Kanner’s work in 1943[1], evidence suggests that autistic people have been part of human communities throughout history and across cultures[2]. Over the past few decades, much work has been done to increase autism awareness across communities. In more recent years, autistic self-advocates and neuroaffirming organizations serving autistic individuals and their families have labored to move society beyond awareness and toward autism acceptance.
Neurodiversity is Natural
Neurodiversity refers to the differences in the ways that human brains develop and work and is a natural byproduct of human genetics. Just like there are an infinite number of combinations of visible traits (like eye color, hair texture, height, etc.) among humans, there are many different ways that our genes influence the way our brains grow and function. Our experiences, especially as young children, also play a role in the way we understand and respond to the world around us. All of these factors work together to influence our brain development in complex ways that experts continue to explore.
Autism isn’t a Crisis
Historically, research and discussion about autism and neurodivergence has been focused on identifying specific causes and working toward a “cure.” This approach is largely influenced by a belief that “neurotypical” brains are better—healthier, smarter, more capable—and that neurodivergent brains are inferior or damaged. In response to this, many autistic self-advocates, professionals and community members are working to improve our understanding of autism and positively shape attitudes about how neurodivergent brains work. While it is true that many autistic and neurodivergent people experience challenges and barriers when navigating everyday life, a deeper look often reveals that these difficulties are a result of inflexible systems that are designed primarily for neurotypical people. Many of us have encountered examples of this:
Schools and educational settings: Students are often expected to sit at their desk, still and quiet, while remaining on-task with minimal adult support.
Medical settings: Appointments are often held in brightly-lit treatment rooms with a lot of ambient noise; medical staff may primarily rely on verbal communication for gathering information or informing individuals of what to expect from procedures.
Workplace settings: Expectations of professional behavior and interactions are based on neurotypical social norms; autistic and neurodivergent ways of communicating and connecting may be viewed as unprofessional or unwelcome.
Home and community settings: Home and community environments that are set up with neurotypical people in mind may be overwhelming for neurodivergent people who are sensitive to sound, smell, touch, or other kinds of sensory experiences. Strategies that many neurodivergent people use to cope with overwhelm, such as stimming, may not be considered appropriate or acceptable by those around them.
Acceptance is the Answer
Moving beyond autism awareness toward autism acceptance means that we recognize that autistic (and neurodivergent) people often know intuitively what their brains and bodies need to feel safe and calm, are able to develop the skills and tools they need, and can (and do!) thrive when the people and environments they interact with understand neurodiversity and are flexible, adaptive, supportive, and inclusive. Sometimes, this means ensuring access to formal developmental, educational, and behavioral health services and supports. Always, this means ensuring that the environments where autistic and neurodivergent people exist (all environments!) are as accommodating and accepting as possible. This can look like:
Individual level: Listening to and honoring the experiences, preferences, and self-identified needs of autistic and neurodivergent people you know and doing what is in your power to accommodate their needs or embrace their ways of doing things.
Family level: Getting to know the ways that each of your family members communicates, regulates, and connects and adapting routines and environments where possible to accommodate these needs.
Organizational level: Looking at your organization’s environments and processes and identifying ways to increase flexibility and capacity to accommodate neurodivergent needs; ensuring that professionals who work directly with community members are educated and supported to work effectively with neurodivergent people.
Community level: Ensuring that neurodivergent people are visible and welcome in all community settings and creating spaces and opportunities that are specifically designed for neurodivergent people to engage and connect.
Systemic level: Sharing evidence-based, neuroaffirming information about autism and neurodivergence and advocating for improved access to specialized supports, increased accessibility and inclusion in educational, medical, workplace, and community settings, and safeguarding the rights of neurodivergent people.
Learn More from Autistic Self-Advocates
Moving from awareness to acceptance takes time and diligent effort. It starts with listening to autistic people and respecting their experiences. Autistic voices help us understand what works, what doesn’t, and how to build communities where differences are understood and embraced. Acceptance means questioning assumptions about what is “normal” and creating schools, healthcare, workplaces, and systems that work for everyone. It’s about recognizing strengths, removing barriers, and treating every person with dignity and respect. By doing this, we show that autistic and neurodivergent people are not broken—they are valued members of our communities who deserve belonging, opportunity, and joy. Below you’ll find a list of resources to explore these ideas further.
Welcome to the Autistic Community
From the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, this book was written by autistic people in order to help autistic people (and others!) understand what it means to be part of the autistic community. The book is available for purchase (physical copy) or for free download (electronic copy). It is also available in a Spanish version.
Kaelynn Partlow, Therapist & Advocate
Kaelynn Partlow is an autistic person, therapist, advocate, and content creator who shares evidence-based, neuroaffirming information about autism, the experiences of autistic people, and ways that we can support our neurodivergent community members.
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
According to their website, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network “seeks to advance the principles of the disability rights movement with regard to autism. ASAN believes that the goal of autism advocacy should be a world in which autistic people enjoy equal access, rights, and opportunities.” The ASAN website includes educational resources and opportunities to get involved in autism advocacy.
[1] Rosen NE, Lord C, Volkmar FR. The Diagnosis of Autism: From Kanner to DSM-III to DSM-5 and Beyond. J Autism Dev Disord. 2021 Dec;51(12):4253-4270. doi: 10.1007/s10803-021-04904-1. Epub 2021 Feb 24. PMID: 33624215; PMCID: PMC8531066.
[2] Leask J, Leask A, Silove N. Evidence for autism in folklore? Archives of Disease in Childhood 2005;90:271.
