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From our team:

 It’s not contagious.

It’s not learned.

It’s not transferable.

 Spending time with autistics won’t make you autistic.

(It will, however, put you at risk of developing a relationship that enriches your life with unique new perspectives and, quite possibly, a surplus of hyper-niche related information.)

Your child sharing a classroom with an autistic peer does not put them at risk of contamination.

(It does, however, increase their risk of developing into inclusive, empathetic adults who seek out relationships that will allow them to continue to learn and grow, with individuals who are different from them in a multitude of ways.) 

Mirroring of tics, speech patterns, and even stims (individualized self-stimulatory behaviors which serve as grounds) may and likely will occur.

(Just as with any social interaction, humans adapt to what is presented to them in terms of environment, language, physical presentation, and a myriad of other details, and more often than not these are temporary ‘adoptions.’)

We are not alien.

We are not a virus.

We are not animals.

We are the Autistic.

We are the Neuro-Divergent.

We are…as you are…wholly and completely our unique, individual selves.

This April, see past the fear-mongering.

See past the functioning-labels.

See past the clout-chasing.

See us as . . . US!

And stand by us as we find our footing and share our stories and fight for the right to be respected, to be accommodated, to be included.