From Albert Einstein to Anthony Hopkins, autistic people have doubtless achieved many amazing things. But we should not oppose those who seek to eradicate or cure autism because of the successes of notable autistic individuals, but because autistic people are people too. Our lives are important and worthwhile no matter what we may or may not achieve. Support for autistic people should not be predicated on exceptionalism, but on humanity.
CW: Contains mentions of ableist, racist and sexist language as well as descriptions of eating disorders.
"It is not known the proportion of the UK’s diagnosed autistic population of 700,000 and the UK’s innumerable undiagnosed autistic population who identify as women and/or People of Colour. But we have a duty to represent those people and the diversity of challenges and experiences in our conversations about autism."
Ciara Garcha argues that we need greater intersectional conversations and representations of autism in the media.
