#autism-acceptance-month — Public Fediverse posts

We are already in your Location:
Why Location Owners need to have more Autistic Awareness

In our FAQ there's a script for requesting permission from private locations to document them and upload them to prepped.to, so that autistic folks can upload sensory info about them not only in text (which doesn’t require permission) but also in images and videos, so that others can consult richer info before going there.

Some locations consent right off, some ask for clarifications, and some just don't respond at all. But the most bewildering response you get when asking is the following:
“That's a great initiative, but I'd rather not have my business there, because I'm afraid that if autistic people started showing up here, I wouldn't know how to properly accommodate them.”

As part of a vibrant autistic community I find this reply both hilarious and infuriating. Let's start with the latter: It isn’t okay to knowingly choose not to make your location accessible to disabled people. While location owners may have other reasons, not to mention excuses, for not making their location wheelchair accessible, they would never say: “I don’t want to make it wheelchair accessible, because that would make people in wheelchairs come here.” And if they did, that would be breaking disability-rights and discrimination laws in many countries.

But somehow, when it’s about autism, some location owners feel comfortable saying just that. “Even though making my location accessible to autistic people by informing them of conditions and service in advance costs me nothing and is facilitated by the autistic community itself for free, I rather not let them document here, because I don’t want them to come to my business.” This is just plain discrimination trying to present as genuine concern.

But it’s also hilarious because current assessments are that 3% of humanity are autistic, so your location already has autistic visitors, whether you, or even they, know it or not. Some of us are easy to spot: We might be the potential customer who walks in, realizes that the conditions inside are untenable, be it because of the lighting, the sound, ambient perfume or smoke, or how crowded it is. In this case, we may dally for a couple of seconds, then walk right back out again. Lost business right there. We might be the one who gets in and stands around looking lost, not sure what to do next. When staff approaches us to offer service, we might flinch, freeze or stutter. We may be the queerdo in pink leopard pattern and gold, or the goth in full black and white makeup. We might be the one constantly holding a bottle or stimming with a fidget toy. Or you may not notice the most gifted and avid maskers of us at all.
But we are already all around you. We are your visitors, your clients, your employees, your neighbors, your colleagues, the person next to you on public transport and behind you in line at the store. We might even be part of your family or friend circle. And you might even be one of us without realizing it yet.

This is another reason why Autistic Awareness Month is important, and Autistic Acceptance, Accommodation and Appreciation are still far off. People need to realize that we are already here, there and everywhere.
If you have a hundred clients, in all likelihood, three of them are autistic. This is why, if you help autistic folks prepare before visiting your business, you will just have more successful visits and more clients, and fewer instances of people feeling lost or overwhelmed in your business.
Sticking your head in the sand about it isn’t going to help you, your business or your clients.

We invite businesses and location owners around the world to allow and encourage autistic clients to document the sensory conditions, navigation and service instructions in your location for the autistic community to prep with before visiting, for smooth and successful visits.

Your location hasn’t been documented yet, and you want it to be? Email us at contact[at]aut2aut.org, and we will make it happen.

And if you want to be extra helpful, you can become a business prepped.to supporter for as little as 10 Euros a month. To thank you for your support, we will add a badge to your entry, so everyone getting informed on prepped.to before visiting your location knows how much you care.

Links:
FAQ: https://prepped.to/faq
Blogpost: https://prepped.to/blog/we-are-already-in-your-location-why-location-owners-need-to-have-more-autistic-awareness
April Autistic Adult Awareness campaign: https://gofund.me/758a99cb0

#ActuallyAutistic
@autistics
#AutismAcceptanceMonth
#autismawareness

Fostering Independence

How each of us sees independence, and dependence, can vary within a family, community, and culture. Most children have a little spark in them that fosters their independence, strength, and resilience. (We might call it obstinance when we are seeking a little more cooperation!) The way we all—teachers, parents, therapists—worked with my son as he grew up required his compliance in learning new things. Years of intensive, deliberate, purposeful, and fast work made him vulnerable to learned helplessness. We had to keep an eye out for it and address it when it showed up.

But we also discovered that the situations where we believed he had the least flexibility were actually the best places for him to build his strength and resilience. By the middle of high school, he was participating in his IEP meetings and we started learning how to step back.

Learning how to shift from caregiver to ally is worth another book (and I'm working on it.)

#AutismAcceptanceMonth

Just found out it's #AutismAcceptanceMonth. Happy....autism?....my neurodivergent pals. I accept you! I accept myself! I'll accept what I'm accepting! This doesn't make any sense. Love ya! :HeartAutism:
https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/acceptance-and-awareness/world-autism-acceptance-month

It’s still April and we have a new blogpost about the need for Autistic Adult Awareness this month:
https://prepped.to/blog/the-need-for-autistic-adult-awareness

Being inside the bubble of autistic activism, we tend to forget how often folks aren’t aware of the existence of autistic adults, not to mention that they might be one too!

This lack of Autistic Adult Awareness isn’t an accident, but a policy led by parent-organizations that still, horrifyingly, use the puzzle symbol, and moreover in a bow, the kinds of which one uses to commemorate the victims of cancer and war.

Aut2Aut is an autistic-led nonprofit, and it needs your support. As little as 1 Euro a month can make a huge difference, and bring us one step closer to reclaiming this month and our narrative, as well as providing autistic folks with a platform where we can share sensory information and service instructions, so we can prep and script before going places.

How to support us:
- GofundMe: https://gofund.me/70a4feca8
- Betterplace: https://www.betterplace.org/en/projects/164016-support-prepped-to-by-and-for-the-autistic-community
- Shop: https://aut2aut.myspreadshop.net/
- Add a new location: https://prepped.to/add-new-location?utm_source=LinkedIn&utm_campaign=AAAM

#ActuallyAutistic #AutismAcceptanceMonth #AutisticAwarenessMonth

@autistics

Dedicated School For Autistic Students Scrapped By Edmonton Public School Board

Drew Mercury, Iridium and Caesium as Miis to prepare for Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream's release! #actuallyautistic #autistic #autism #mii #mercury #iridium #caesium #oc #originalcharacter #autismacceptance #autismacceptancemonth #periodictable #elementeon

Check out my comic, Element Eon: https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/117533349

Trusting what you know

How we make our parenting decisions matters. One kernel of understanding came when writing my first book, See Sam Run. His preschool teacher urged us to “extinguish” a “perseverative” behavior. We considered it, but after translating those science-y words to plain language, they lost their gravitas against other things we knew were important.

Our son was growing and changing every day. We wanted to trust his inner drive. Some of the things that he did appeared to have a purpose to him, even if we didn’t understand it. We focused on where he was and responding to him with joy as he showed progress, just like any other kid.

#Autism
#AutismAcceptanceMonth

Only recently did I stumble on some science exploring this big idea about nature and our inner drive. Are you ready for it? The many-wrongs principle.

https://peggyheinkelwolfe.com/the-many-wrongs-principle/

We've just realized we've never posted about our support us page, and what better time to post about it than in the middle of a crowdfunding campaign?

On the page are links to the two platforms where you can donate to Aut2Aut, so it can go on creating free platforms and content by and for autistic folks, our merch shop with all #ActuallyAutistic designs, and no less importantly: how to add sensory info and service instructions about a new location to inform other autistic folks who plan to go there, and share links to spread the word with.

https://prepped.to/support-us

Thanks for your support🙏

#actuallyAutistic @autistics #AutismAcceptanceMonth #autism

As Aut2Aut's Autistic (Adult) Awareness Month crowdfunding campaign https://gofund.me/241e2471f enters its sixth say, we are moved to tears by our first monthly supporter 🥹

Someone decided that a platform for autistic folks to share sensory info about different locations on, i.e. our website https://prepped.to is a worthy enough cause to support it with 5 Euro each month.

This might not seem a lot, but it's much more profound than "just" the 5 Euros. Monthly donations give us predictability, which is one of the best things you can give an autistic person. Predictability means we can plan. It means we can be safe in the knowledge of what's to come. It means less ruminating and more mental space for doing. It's everything.

And this is what prepped.to is there for!
The idea is to give autistic folks predictability when going somewhere, especially somewhere new. Knowing in advance what the lighting and sound will be like allows us to take protective gear. Knowing in advance what to do to get what we went there for allows us to script before going, sparing us the endless moments of awkwardly standing around, trying to figure out where to go, who to talk to and what to say, while also dealing with some kind of sensory assault.

This April, please consider giving Aut2Aut the gift of predictability, so we can stop worrying about the future and start making it happen, with free, ad-free and membership-fee-free platforms and content by and for the autistic community 🙏

#ActuallyAutistic
@autistics
@autism101
@autism
#AutismAcceptanceMonth

✨ #AutismAcceptanceMonth

Stopped by 🚒 Malden Fire, Local 902, to grab one of their T‑shirts for Autism Acceptance Month. They’ll be available all month, and every dollar raised goes directly to a local charitable organization.

🗣️Appreciate Lieutenant Power for the assist, and grateful for our firefighters and all first responders who show up for Malden — and communities everywhere — every day.

#Autism #firefighters #Community #FirstResponders #neurodivergent #inclusion #charity #nonprofit

ooh, got to join in with this 'Autism is a spectrum' #Neurodivergence #Neuridiversity #Neurodiverse #autismacceptancemonth #actuallyautistic #autisticJoy #Autism #Autistic

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:hxnuzpppyxaxc7wjzm7ltuwk/post/3mijvo53mac24

Happy Easter from Mrs. Eddant! #autism #autistic #actuallyautistic #autismacceptance #autismacceptancemonth #mrseddant #bunnyears #red #redinstead #oc #originalcharacter #seaside #easter #rainbowinfinity

Check out my comic, Element Eon: https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/117533349

Many autism therapies have as their goal to make autistic children “normal,” or “indistinguishable from their peers.” 1/3

#Autism #autistic #ActuallyAutistic #AutismAcceptance #Acceptance #autismacceptancemonth

#jouRapNal #book18 day 111

20260403Fri

#3goodThings #stay #stim #AutismAcceptanceMonth #threeGoodThings

#cleaner #tibtv #fresh

Autism Acceptance, Belonging, and Inclusion at Work Is Just Good Workplace Design

April is Autism Acceptance Month. Creating workspaces that are inclusive and welcoming for everyone, including neurodiverse staff, is an important part of workplace well-being.  

We tend to treat autism acceptance, and neurodiversity more broadly, as something separate from the rest of our work. It becomes a program, a training, or a hiring initiative. Something we add on rather than something we build into how work functions. But when you look at what meaningful acceptance requires, it starts to look a lot like good communication practice in general. It looks like clear expectations, thoughtful communication, flexibility, and environments that make it easier for people to do their jobs. Clear is kind.

When we talk about autism acceptance, we often focus on awareness or understanding. Those things matter, but they are only a starting point. Creating spaces that are inclusive and welcoming is the goal. Acceptance shows up in how we design and work on a daily basis. It shows up in job descriptions that are clear about expectations, in structured interviews that reduce guesswork, and in communication practices that don’t rely entirely on verbal exchanges or implicit norms. It shows up in giving people advance notice of changes whenever possible, and in creating workspaces that reduce unnecessary sensory strain. And knowing what things are most likely to cause sensory strain – lighting, noise, air quality, etc. It also shows up in flexibility, both in how work gets done and in recognizing that people may approach tasks differently and still be highly effective. All of that matches the research around what makes healthy workplaces, including the physical space and policies.

None of these changes are particularly radical, and they benefit everyone at work. The same practices that support autistic employees also make work more accessible, consistent, and sustainable for everyone. This is something we see again and again when we talk about workplace design more broadly: when we remove unnecessary barriers, more people are able to do their best work. (Universal design, anyone?)

But just like other aspects of workplace wellbeing, we tend to shift responsibility to the individual. We tell people to be more resilient, to communicate more clearly, to manage their time better, or to engage in more self-care. At the same time, we don’t address or change the underlying issues in place – unclear expectations, constantly shifting priorities, environments that are noisy or distracting, and workflows that depend on interruption and urgency.

If the environment requires people to navigate ambiguity, sensory overload, and inconsistent communication just to function, then the issue is not that some employees need accommodations. The issue is that the workplace has been designed in a way that creates unnecessary barriers.

For autistic employees, that kind of environment can be especially challenging. More broadly, it undermines psychological safety for everyone. Teams function better when expectations are clear, communication is direct, and people feel comfortable expressing concerns or asking for clarification. That is about being more intentional in how we support one another’s work.

It is also important to be clear about what we mean when we talk about supporting autistic employees. The goal is not to help individuals adapt to a system that was not designed with them in mind. The goal is to design systems that allow more people to succeed. When expectations are clear, people make fewer mistakes. When communication improves, collaboration improves for everyone. When environments reduce unnecessary strain, everyone has more capacity to focus and engage in their work. When flexibility is built into the system, retention and job satisfaction improve for everyone.

These are organizational outcomes, not individual accommodations.

If we hire neurodiverse employees without addressing culture, policies, and practices, we are not creating inclusion. We are asking people to navigate the same barriers that existed before, often with the expectation that they will find ways to manage them on their own. Hiring is only one step, and it is not the most difficult one. The more challenging work is examining how decisions are made, how communication happens, how physical and virtual spaces are structured, and what people are expected to manage as part of their day-to-day work.

Where to Start

If this feels like a lot, start with one thing.

• Write expectations down instead of relying on verbal instructions.
• Be explicit, do not rely on implication or assumed understanding.
• Build more predictability into schedules.
• Take a close look at how meetings are structured.
• Create a quiet space for staff, even if it’s small.
• Ask your team what actually helps them do their work.

Creating a work environment that goes beyond autism acceptance to belonging and inclusion at work is not separate from workplace well-being. It is one way of understanding whether our workplaces are functioning in ways that support the people in them. When we design workplaces that support autistic employees, we are also creating environments that are clearer, more flexible, and more sustainable for everyone.

P.S. If you’re an autistic or neurodiverse librarian consider submitting a presentation about creating a welcoming workplace for autistic and/or neurodiverse staff to ThriveLib, a virtual conference created for librarians, library managers, and library workers who are ready to reimagine what well-being looks like in their professional lives.

References and Suggested Readings

Alissa. (2021, February 20). Libraries are for everyone! Except if you’re autistic. Cataloguing the Universe. https://lissertations.net/post/1626

Anderson, A. (2018). Employment and Neurodiverse Librarians. STEMPS Faculty Publications, 82. https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/stemps_fac_pubs/82

Anderson, A. (2021). Job Seeking and Daily Workforce Experiences of Autistic Librarians. The International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion, 5(3), 38–63.

Anderson, A. (2022, September 26). Researcher’s Corner: At the intersection of autism and libraries. Hiring Librarians. https://hiringlibrarians.com/2022/09/26/researchers-corner-at-the-intersection-of-autism-and-libraries/

Anderson, A. M. (2021a). Exploring the workforce experiences of autistic librarians through accessible and participatory approaches. Library & Information Science Research, 43(2), 101088. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2021.101088

Autism Career Pathways 501c3 (Director). (2020, February 10). Lauren the Autistic Librarian [Video recording]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zglfZn5bak

Bastian, R. (2023, October 23). Tips For Supporting Neurodiversity In The Workplace. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/rebekahbastian/2019/10/23/tips-for-supporting-neurodiversity-in-the-workplace/

Camp, C., & Finlay, D. J. (2025). The experiences of neurodivergent Library and Information Science [LIS] professionals working in academic libraries – a case study. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 51(5), 103115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2025.103115

Cohen, R. A., Cooke, P., Holt, M., Lounsberry, M., Roga, E., Farrell, K. S., & Squires, J. (2025). Autistic librarians in the academic library hiring process. College & Research Libraries, 86(5), 705.

Commissioner, O. of the. (2023). Be Aware of Potentially Dangerous Products and Therapies that Claim to Treat Autism. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/be-aware-potentially-dangerous-products-and-therapies-claim-treat-autism

Contributor, G. (2017b, April 16). Perspectives of an Autistic Children’s Librarian. ALSC Blog. https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2017/04/perspective-autistic-childrens-librarian/

Doyle, N. (2019, November 24). Ableism In The Workplace: When Trying Harder Doesn’t Work. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/drnancydoyle/2019/11/24/ableism-in-the-workplace-when-trying-harder-doesnt-work/

Emily. (2012, June 29). Further Questions: Would You Hire a Person Who Has an Autistic Spectrum Disorder For a Reference Librarian Position? Hiring Librarians. https://hiringlibrarians.com/2012/06/29/further-questions-would-you-hire-a-person-who-has-an-autistic-spectrum-disorder-for-a-reference-librarian-position/

Eng, A. (2017). Neurodiversity in the Library: One Librarian’s Experience. In the Library with the Lead Pipe. https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2017/neurodiversity-in-the-library/

Finn, J. (2023, September 16). Two Librarians Fired Over Autism-Awareness Display, Because Rainbow. Prism & Pen. https://medium.com/prismnpen/two-librarians-fired-over-autism-awareness-display-because-rainbow-c8b3fbd2c916

Furr, P. (2023, March 7). Why It’s Important To Embrace Neurodiversity In The Workplace (And How To Do It Effectively). Forbes. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/03/07/why-its-important-to-embrace-neurodiversity-in-the-workplace-and-how-to-do-it-effectively/

Gainey, K. (2023, September 20). What Is Social Skills Training & How Is It Used? Choosing Therapy. https://www.choosingtherapy.com/social-skills-training/

Geraghty, T. (2024, July 26). Psychological safety and neurodiversity. Psych Safety. https://psychsafety.com/psychological-safety-and-neurodiversity/

Giles-Smith, L., & Popowich, E. (2023). Autistic employees in Canadian academic libraries: Barriers, opportunities, and ways forward. Canadian Journal of Academic Librarianship, 9, 1–22.

Haire, A. (2025). What Does It Mean to Be Information Literate for an Autistic Librarian in the Academic Library Workplace?. Journal of Information Literacy, 19(1), 27–47.

Howard, J. (2022, December 14). It’s Important to Create Psychological Safety for Autistic Professionals. https://www.inclusionhub.com/articles/create-psychological-safety-for-autistic-professionals

Inc, G. (2025, April 25). Neurodiverse Workers: Hidden Challenges, Untapped Potential. Gallup.Com. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/659618/neurodiverse-workers-hidden-challenges-untapped-potential.aspx

Is Your Workplace Neurodivergent Competent? (2022, September 20). Psych Central. https://psychcentral.com/health/neurodiversity-in-the-workplace

jrose. (2022, October 31). Neurodiversity and Libraries. Liblime. https://liblime.com/2022/10/31/neurodiversity-and-libraries/

Juarez, A. H. (Host). (2025, May 30). Cultivating an Inclusive Workplace for Neurodivergent Staff with Renee Grassi (No. 174) [Broadcast]. https://libraryleadershippodcast.com/174-cultivating-an-inclusive-workplace-for-neurodivergent-staff-with-renee-grassi/

Louise Taylor. (2022, January 11). Communication Styles, Counseling, and Neurodiversity. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-neurodivergent-therapist/202201/communication-styles-counseling-and-neurodiversity

Ludmila Praslova. (2022, April 24). Workplace bullying of autistic people: A Vicious cycle. Specialisterne. https://us.specialisterne.com/workplace-bullying-of-autistic-people-a-vicious-cycle/

Ludmila Praslova. (2022, February 1). Moral Injury at Work and Neurodiversity: Are there Additional Risk Factors? Specialisterne. https://ca.specialisterne.com/moral-injury-at-work-and-neurodiversity-are-there-additional-risk-factors/

Maddock, K. (n.d.). To what extent are autistic library staff in the UK supported in their workplace?

Maxwell, L. (2022, July 25). Being an Autistic School Librarian. BOOK RIOT. https://bookriot.com/being-an-autistic-school-librarian/

Motti, S. W., Niloofar Kalantari, Vivian. (2024, April 24). Neurodiversity inclusion starts with the job interview. Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/91111139/neurodiversity-inclusion-starts-with-the-job-interview

Nasland, R., Dudheker, S., & Dudheker, R. N. and S. (2023, July 20). Designing for Neurodiversity in the Workplace. Work Design Magazine. https://www.workdesign.com/2023/07/designing-for-neurodiversity-in-the-workplace/

Neurodiversity in the Library: One Librarian’s Experience – In the Library with the Lead Pipe. (n.d.). Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2017/neurodiversity-in-the-library/

Neurodiversity Resources For Students—Neurodiversity Hub<br/>. (n.d.). Neurodiversity Hub. Retrieved April 3, 2026, from https://www.neurodiversityhub.org/training1

Newman, B. L. (2024, April 26). Supporting Neurodiversity in the Library Workplace. Librarian by Day. https://librarianbyday.net/2024/04/26/supporting-neurodiversity-in-the-library-workplace/

Praslova, L. N. (2022, June 21). An Intersectional Approach to Inclusion at Work. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/06/an-intersectional-approach-to-inclusion-at-work

Rosa, S. D. R. (2018, September 14). What Is Light Sensitivity Like for One Autistic? Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism. http://www.thinkingautismguide.com/2018/09/what-is-light-sensitivity-like-for-one.html

Smith, S. (n.d.). Training & Resource Center. Autism Society. Retrieved April 3, 2026, from https://autismsociety.org/training-resource-center/

Southey, S., Morris, R., Nicholas, D., & Pilatzke, M. (2024). Autistic perspectives on employment: A scoping review. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 34(4), 756–769.

Staff, L. (2026, April 2). Autism Librarian. Autism Librarian. https://autismlibrarian.wordpress.com/

Steinemann, A. (2019). Ten questions concerning fragrance-free policies and indoor environments. Building and Environment, 159, 106054. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.03.052

The Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL) (Director). (2024, February 29). Library Accessibility Alliance (LAA) Webinar: Transforming Librarianship to Model Neuroinclusion in Libraries [Video recording]. https://vimeo.com/918005788

Torres, A. (n.d.). Neurodiversity at Work Playbook: Employee Engagement & Growth Series. Disability:IN. Retrieved April 4, 2025, from https://disabilityin.org/resource/neurodiversity-at-work-playbook-employee-engagement-growth-series/

Training Autistic Employees—Hire Autism. (2022, January 5). https://www.hireautism.org/resource-center/training-autistic-employees/

Tumlin, Z. (2019). “This Is a Quiet Library, Except When It’s Not:” On the Lack of Neurodiversity Awareness in Librarianship. Music Reference Services Quarterly, 22(1–2), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/10588167.2019.1575017

Painted this #planter for #AutismAcceptanceMonth today. Originally used yellow for the #infinitysymbol before I realized there was gold paint, to it’s a bit messy as a result. The bottom says “4/2/2026”, should have used a smaller brush so it was easier to show in the photo and centre.

Happy Autism Month! I am an #ActuallyAutistic #adhd #queer knitter with a love for religious studies. My day job is in insurance, but on the weekends I obsess over religious studies texts and #knitting.

This is your annual reminder that #autism is not a disease to be cured, it is a neurological difference to accept.

#AutismMonth #AutismAcceptanceMonth

#blog #blogpost: I'm back and running from the maintainer break (technically a few days back, but you know the drill when life happens). Also happy #AutismAcceptanceMonth for all the #ActuallyAutistic writers and devs out there by the way. The March 2026 #statusupdate will go next later this week.

Post-Midterms Exams Maintainer...

✨Happy World Autism Acceptance Month✨ #autismacceptancemonth #actuallyautistic #autisticJoy #Autism #Autistic

@actuallyautistic Not sure anyone has gotten this nerdy (but almost certainly):

I'm using o4-mini to collect various subjective sensory metrics from me several times per day over time to help me look for patterns in my CNS and develop strategies for energy mgmt and meltdown risk reduction. Already yielding wins with 3.5 days of data!

#chatgpt #actuallyaudhd #actullyautistic #autismacceptancemonth #autismawarenessmonth