Autism in the News

April was Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month, and we’ve seen amazing posts, stories, and events celebrating autistic individuals and promoting true inclusion. But we've also seen disheartening comments that remind us how much work still needs to be done.

Recently, a prominent public figure falsely linked vaccines to autism and described autistic individuals in deeply dehumanizing ways, saying they “will never pay taxes, never write a poem, never go to the bathroom by themselves, never serve in the military, never play baseball.”

Statements like these erase the vibrant, diverse, and meaningful lives of autistic people. They promote fear instead of understanding and continue a harmful narrative that autism is a tragedy to be avoided, not a valid, natural way of being.

Additionally, proposals to create a national registry of autistic individuals have raised serious concerns. Such measures threaten privacy rights and further stigmatize the community rather than offering meaningful support that is so widely needed.

Let’s set the record straight:

✅ Autism is not caused by vaccines.

✅ Autistic people do pay taxes, write poems, play sports, serve their communities, and live rich, fulfilling lives.

✅ Creating a registry to track people based on their neurology is unethical and unacceptable.

✅ Neurodiversity is not a problem to solve. It’s a strength to embrace.

At See Me Neurodiverse, we are proud to stand with and celebrate neurodivergent individuals of all abilities. We believe in facts, dignity, autonomy, and inclusion. Autistic people deserve the same rights, privacy, and respect as anyone else.

What You Can Do:

• Speak up when you hear misinformation, even a simple, “That’s been debunked” can shift a conversation.

• Share accurate info from trusted sources.

• Amplify neurodivergent voices by sharing content from autistic creators and educators.

• Talk to your kids about neurodiversity to help raise the next generation of allies.

• Contact your representatives (local, state, and national) and ask them to denounce harmful rhetoric and support policies rooted in science and inclusion.

• Support inclusive policies in your community, schools, and workplaces.

• Volunteer or donate to organizations (like See Me, AuSM, MAAN) that center and uplift neurodivergent people.

• Celebrate autism proudly. Acceptance is a year-round commitment.

Together, we can fight back against fear with facts and build a world that truly sees and supports every brain.