Hi Reader,

My first Autistic Pride Day, I must confess, confused me. I was just a month into my autism discovery, and I wasn't sure who the day was for. Was it for all Autistic people? Just for queer Autistic people? I wasn't sure. So, I thought I'd break down the history in case you're equally confused:

Who is Autistic Pride For?

Autistic Pride is for all Autistic people (though it is modeled after Pride events and holds special significance for those who are both Autistic and queer—more on that in a minute). It was started by a group called Aspies for Freedom back in 2005 (note: the term "Aspies" has largely fallen out of use now but was popular in the early 2000s). They wanted to create an event that was for and by Autistic people. This contrasted with many other autism days (like World Autism Day and Autism Awareness Month) which are historically run by organizations and charities and often have a tone of pity when talking about autism.

Autistic Pride, on the other hand, has always been organized by Autistic people, for Autistic people, and is about taking pride in our identity and culture. Celebrating and taking pride in who we are is a powerful form of advocacy when you live in a society that sends you thousands of messages that the way you are is wrong.

Autistic Pride and Identity

I love the work I do and love being in a community of people who are newly identified — it never ceases to awe me, the power of discovery and the power of self-acceptance, self-validation, and identity empowerment that comes when a person can finally shed years of labels (too sensitive, too much, awkward, incompetent) for the label of "Autistic" ... and when they can wear that label with pride.

If you've been around a while, you know I talk a lot about autism and the mental health conditions that often come along with it. I believe one of the most powerful things we can do for the Autistic young people in our lives (and older ones) is to instill a sense of pride and validation in their identity.

And that is at the heart of Autistic Pride Day (June 18th, by the way).

Autistic Pride and Intersecting Identitites

Back to intersecting identities — the reason for choosing the day was that it was the birthday of the youngest member of Aspies for Freedom. However, it was also symbolic in that they were modeling the event on Pride events, and it has taken on special meaning for those with the intersecting identities of queerness and autism.

If you want to read more about intersecting identities, I've created several graphics over the years that highlight the overlap. You can read about (and find infographics on) the overlap of sexual diversity and autism [here], and the overlap of genderqueer and autism [here].

Pride looks different for all of us. For some, it may mean going to sparkly events and donning brightly colored garments. For others, Pride can be quiet. It can be enjoying a day tucked away in our room, immersed in our special interests. There is no one right way to embody pride in your Autistic identity. So, however you choose to celebrate you (or the people in your life) this week, I hope it is a way of authentically connecting and honoring your autistic self.

Warmly,

Megan Anna

P.S Today is also neurodiversity pride day — a day to celebrate all neurodivergents, this day was started in 2018 by the Neurodiversity Foundation and is a day to celebrate all neurodivergent people.

Neurodivergent Insights

★彡 Weekly Roundup ★彡

♾️ Autistic Pride Sale

To celebrate Autistic pride everything in the shop is 40% off from today until end of day June 18th. Use code "AutisticPride" to get 40% off.

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🎙New on the Podcast

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This week marks the fourth episode of our ADHD series and it's the last one that covers the diagnostic criteria. We talk about impulsive traits — sharing personal experiences with these traits.

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💻 New Blog Post

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This week I'm starting a three part series on the Interest-Based Nervous System. This article provides a brief overview of what the Interest-Based Nervous System is and how it influences the ADHD experience.

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Thanks for being here. I'll catch you next week.

Dr. Neff