(UK) AUTISM, not disorder/illness; it's "unique way of thinking"
- 19 hours ago
- 2 min read
This April is World Autism Acceptance Month. Editor Melissa Holmes learns more about how people with lived experience are working to improve society’s understanding of neurodivergence.
Since Enable magazine launched 15 years ago, we’ve seen a huge shift in awareness around autism – it’s seen less as a ‘disorder’ or illness, and is more understood as a unique way of thinking. Autism has become a mainstream issue, with celebrities like Chris Packham and Melanie Sykes sharing their autistic status, plus social media opening up conversations around neurodivergence.
But there’s a long way to go. The number of autistic people in inpatient facilities in mental health hospitals has increased over the past decade. And who can forget the comments two years ago from a group of Warwickshire councillors who said SEND children are “just really badly behaved” and “need some form of strict correction”?
BREAKING BARRIERS
According to the National Autistic Society, 55% of autistic people avoid going out because they’re worried how people will treat them. Finding a safe space where you’re free to be yourself can really boost confidence. . . .
A level playing field is something the autistic community wants to see – especially when stats reveal that just 30% of autistic people are in any sort of employment. Dan Hall is hoping to change that. As the founder of Neurodiversity in Business, he’s pushing for change so Josh, his non-speaking autistic son, won’t face barriers to employment – or anything else – as he grows up.
“We need to change the world around him, rather than Josh needing to change,” explains Dan. “When I was growing up, these kids were institutionalised. They were deemed not worthy of an education. It’s about making sure society sees him – in all parts of society.”
DON’T LIMIT OUR EXPERIENCE
Non-speaking people like Josh are often underestimated, but Dan emphasises: “Non-speaking does not mean non-thinking.” He wishes people would stop making assumptions about his son’s competence. Josh can read and write, and uses a talker to communicate, as well as spelling out words using the alphabet tattoo on Dan’s arm. “We have a rush to give these kids a limited experience,” reflects Dan. “They can’t do this, it’s not going to be possible, and so on. The reality is we need to be listening better – rather than them having to change what they’re doing. If we’re attuned to what they’re trying to communicate, they may actually be capable and enjoy doing a lot of things we prohibit them from doing.” . . .
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