Untangling Autism Everything Month
On narratives, naming, and what this month stirs up
It’s “Autism Everything Month”
Kidding. That’s not actually what it’s called — but with all the A’s (awareness, acceptance, appreciation, etc.) floating around, it can feel that way. So let’s take a moment to pause and clarify what this month is actually about… or at least, what it could be about.
A Quick Review of the A’s
Autism Awareness: April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day, started in 2007 with the goal of increasing recognition and global understanding. There’s been some real progress since then — back in 2000, 1 in 150 children were identified as Autistic. Today, the estimate is 1 in 36 (USA statistics).1
While some use this data to fuel “autism epidemic” narratives, the truth is much more affirming: we’ve gotten better at identifying Autistic people — especially girls, BIPOC children, and others who were historically missed. There’s more screening, more educational incentives, and yes — more awareness.
But awareness has been a mixed bag. Many of us carry complicated feelings about…