Being autistic today still has its challenges. From unconscious discrimination in education settings to feeling anxious and alone. This Autism Acceptance Week, I want to speak about inclusion.
Inclusion means everyone having equal access to opportunities and resources. Even though there are policies in place to support inclusion it seems that this isn’t the reality for lots of people with autism. This is due to a lack of understanding from education settings, employers, and society about autism.
So we can all work towards a more inclusive society you could ask the people you know with autism what you could do to help them feel supported, understood, and confident about sharing their voice. To get you started, here are some questions you could ask:
- How can I support you?
- How can I get others to support you?
- Is there anything that you want me to tell other people about you?
Having conversations like this are very important, and help people with autism to feel included and supported.
I end this blog by saying that I am thrilled to be launching a mini podcast series within the Youth-led National Children’s Bureau’s podcast programme Our Turn to Talk called ‘To Infinity and Beyond’ which will have young people with autism at the heart of it. The first podcast episode will be released soon, so stay tuned on social media for more information.
By Jacob