As leaders in organizations see embracing diversity as enriching the talent pool, they become increasingly interested in welcoming neurodivergent and, specifically, autistic talent. This leads to a desire to signal this interest via special events and observances, especially on April 2, which is World Autism Awareness Day. But well-meaning company leaders may find that their intentions don’t match their impact, because the messaging of traditional “autism awareness” can actually alienate autistic people and strengthen the fear they may feel about “coming out.”
Your “Autism Awareness Day” Might Be Excluding Autistic People
Here’s how to celebrate — not alienate — your autistic employees.
April 01, 2022
Evgeniy Shvets/Stocksy
Summary.
Forward-looking organizations can do much better than having an outdated, performative Autism Awareness Day. People outside of the autism community often receive contradictory information about which “awareness” efforts are welcomed, with the mainstream media, parents of autistic children, and adult autistic self-advocates presenting very different perspectives. The confusion over the language and symbolism reflects the philosophical divide between the medical perspective on autism that has primarily dominated the awareness conversation in the mainstream and the neurodiversity perspective. Leaders need to understand the origins of these mixed and changing messages, then take steps to celebrate and include the autistic community meaningfully.