Hey society! We need to talk about how we talk about autism. There’s been a big push in the last few years in pursuit of “autism awareness”. If you’ve reached this site, you probably think you’re aware of autism, but unless you are on the spectrum yourself, your understanding has probably been skewed by the highly stereotypical and inaccurate portrayals of autism and the experience of being autistic that have been widely popularized in the media.

This site has two primary, interconnected goals:

1. Be a resource for those on the spectrum to learn how to be successful not in spite of  their autism, but because of  it, and to motivate people with autism to improve their lives!

2. Make the neurotypical public more aware of the autistic experience so they are more (accurately) informed, supportive, understanding and encouraging of those on the spectrum. The number one way to help people with autism is to see them not as being limited by a disability, but as uniquely-challenged individuals who have limitless potential!

So the first step toward designing a site that can accomplish these goals was to design a logo which fits that theme. You’ve probably seen this ribbon before

This ribbon, while probably crafted with great intentions, represents the problems associated with the current state of public knowledge of autism.

So the Autism Achiever logo was designed in protest to the state of “autism awareness”. being the standard of public discussion of autism.

So instead of a charity ribbon, how about an award ribbon, representing success?

It’s time to move beyond awareness. Instead we need to aim for autism acceptance and achievement. Together we can change the way the world talks about autism and improve the lives of everyone on the spectrum!