30 Quotes to Celebrate Autism Acceptance Month

To celebrate Autism Acceptance Month this April, we've rounded up 30 beautiful quotes, one for each day.

1. "If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism." -Dr. Stephen Shore
2. "Different, not less." -Dr. Temple Grandin
3.  "Autism is like a fingerprint; no two are alike." -Karla Culbertson
4. "We cry, we scream, we hit out and break things. But still, we don't want you to give up on us. Please, keep battling alongside us." -Naoki Higashida
5. "One reason I've done as well as I have is early intervention – I was 'got at' very young." -Ros Blackburn
6. "Autism is not a processing error. It's a different operating system." -Sarah Hendrickx
7. "I was going to make a joke about sensory issues, but it was too loud." -Anonymous
8. "I cannot speak. For whatever reason, God has intended for me to be mute. Many people might believe that I cannot think, but despite their thinking I can. What's more, is that I listen." -Neal Katz
9. "Autism is not a disease. Don't try to cure us. Try to understand us." -Brian R. King
10. "The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said." -Peter Drucker
11. "Communication is not just talking, it's also listening." -Anonymous
12. "Autism is not a tragedy. Running out of bacon is a tragedy." -Anonymous
13. "Autism is not a language barrier. It's a different language." -Haley Moss
14. "Autism is not a tragedy. Ignorance is a tragedy." -Kim Stagliano
15. "Sometimes the things that make us different are the things that make us strong." -Unknown
16. "I didn't know how strong I was until I had to be." -Anonymous
17. "My autism is not a superpower. Unless you think being super good at video games is a superpower." -Anonymous
18. "Autism is not a disability, it's a different ability." -Stuart Duncan
19. "We need to focus on ability, not disability." -Temple Grandin
20.  "Our experiences are all unique. Regardless, I do believe that it is important to find the beautiful. Recognize that there is bad, there is ugly, there is disrespect, there is ignorance and there are meltdowns. Those things are inevitable. But there is also good." -Erin McKinney
21. "There is hope and strength in understanding." -Temple Grandin
22. "I have autism, but I also have Netflix. So, really, who's winning here?" -Anonymous
23.  "Never underestimate the power of small successes." -Anonymous
24. "Routine is a pivotal part of my daily life and any deviation, however slight, can cause great discomfort to me." -Nathan Cornfield
25. "It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a child with autism to raise the consciousness of the village." -Elaine Hall
26. "Autism is not a choice. Acceptance is. Imagine if the opposite was true." -Stuart Duncan
27. "I was taught how to "act normal." I learned to hold the door for people. I learned to tell the truth but to understand when it was okay to lie for politeness. I learned to use my manners, not to swear, to respect personal space, and to stop talking when it was time for somebody else to have a turn. And then I got to school. And I discovered that no one else had learned these things." -Michael McCreary
28. "I don't really understand why it's considered normal to stare at someone's eyeball." -John Elder Robison
29. "I don't have autism, I have awesometism." -Anonymous
30. "Every day I try to be the best person, not the best autistic person." -Andrew Stewart

Author:

Jan Stewart is a highly regarded mental health, autism and neurodiversity advocate and Chair of Kerry’s Place Autism Services, Canada’s largest autism services provider.

Her brutally honest memoir Hold on Tight: A Parent’s Journey Raising Children with Mental Illness describes her emotional roller coaster story of parenting two children with multiple mental health and neurodevelopmental disorders.