Uplifting voices in the Autism community for Autism Acceptance Month

Paislee has Autism. Her and her mom, Whitney, share the difference an accepting community makes in their lives. Join us in uplifting Autistic voices and celebrating differences for Autism Acceptance Month.

ASGW: What does an accepting community look like to you?

Whitney and Paislee: People understand that some loud noises, crowds, and too many lights might be too much for one with Autism. People understand that meltdowns are NOT temper tantrums.

ASGW: How does Autism acceptance affect your family and your child’s quality of life?

Whitney and Paislee: There are many children and adults that do not know or understand Autism.

Paislee wants to be included with the other kids. She wishes she got invited to birthday parties and sleepovers. Because people do not know how to help her, they feel it’s easier to just shut her out. Paislee cannot participate in regular educational extracurriculars because the supports are not available to help her participate. People who don’t understand her unique needs get upset with her. She is a regular kid, who just so happens to have a neurological disorder. Instead of people seeing Paislee for Paislee, they see her as a kid with a “disability.” She has feelings and people think she doesn’t, just because she feels her feelings in a different way from someone without Autism.

Because she has Autism, it is very easy for people to just give up and walk away, or assume the worst – that she is a “bad kid.”

Paislee has a heart of gold. She loves hard, and wants people to be happy. Everything we do, we have to plan around Paislee and her needs. We have to take extra precautions. Most people don’t want to be sensitive to that. Paislee is constantly in fear of being judged or not accepted. She just wants to be included and have people understand her a little better.