There are a lot of different ways to be autistic, and no way is better than any other way.
Some autistic people talk, while others don’t talk. Some autistic people only need a little help, while others need help all the time. Some autistic people also have intellectual disabilitiesDisabilities that affect how you learn and think. People with intellectual disabilities might learn more slowly., while others don’t. This is all okay! All of these autistic people belong in the autistic community.
But societyA big group of communities. A society usually has rules and people in charge. tells us it is not okay to need help. Society tells us it is not okay to have an intellectual disability, and it’s not okay to be non-speakingPeople who don’t talk with their mouths.. Some autistic people believe these things. They think it’s bad to have intellectual disabilities, to be non-speaking, or to need a lot of help. They look down on autistic people who have intellectual disabilities, are non-speaking, or need a lot of help. They might treat these people badly or not let them into their group.
Sometimes, people don’t say these ideas out loud, and show them with their actions instead. They might say that anyone can come to their group, but get mad if someone needs extra help. They might say they care about all autistic people, then make fun of people who can’t use big words.
Autistic groups should include all autistic people. All autistic people are important, and deserve rights and respect.