Autism Spectrum Quotes & Sayings

Being autistic makes me hyper sense things in the world.
Music can intensely enter my soul piercing my inner workings like a light pulsing through me. it can be such an amazing experience — Tina J. Richardson

Some days just being awake is too much input. — Tina J. Richardson

She may do things differently to you, but who says you are doing things right? — Tina J. Richardson

Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder DSM-5 describes a new disorder that has elements of ASD but is actually conceptualized as outside the autism spectrum. The intention is to provide diagnostic coverage for children with symptoms in the social-communication domain but who have never displayed repetitive, restricted behaviours or interests. However, it is unclear how Social Communication Disorder (SCD) will be different from ASD, which support or therapy services will be available, and what the child will qualify for. — Tony Attwood

It's become horribly and offensively popular to say that someone is on the autism spectrum, so all I'll say is his inability to notice when I was crying had to be some kind of pathology. — Lena Dunham

If people treat you badly for being different it says so much more about what is lacking in them than what is lacking in you. — Jeanette Purkis

There is a lot of fuss about whether or not Asperger's is on the autism spectrum, but to be honest, it doesn't matter. It's a term we use to get Jacob the accommodations he needs in school, not a label to explain who he is — Jodi Picoult

I've worked with tons of people that I know who are on the spectrum - but now I think severe autism has really increased. — Temple Grandin

Get up, stand up and look up into your future as an independent human being. Every one has the right to an independent life, especially us Aspies. — Jeanette Purkis

Being young is hard. I was so isolated and alienated when I was young. All I wanted was a friend. I want the world to be different for young Auties than it was for me. — Jeanette Purkis

She has walked a sombre path.
Retreating to her cocoon,
during the darkest hours.
Her body going through,
the motions of life automatically.

But being there was where she
found herself.

She emerged,
Shedding her disguise,
Now her true form.
She knows who she is,
She embraces her true self.
She is free. — Tina J. Richardson

As a child she was unique, she was a dreamer, she lived in her own world. Where it was safe. — Tina J. Richardson

While bullying happens to both males and females on the spectrum, girls, particularly, can be judgmental. Dr. Grandin advocates that some gifted children with autism should be allowed to skip high school and go right to college and I couldn't agree with her more. We flourish much better in an environment where the emphasis is on academic achievement and not socializing. Of course we need to learn to socialize, but through shared interests with like-minded individuals, not by being thrown to the lions. Emotionally, we require an atmosphere of tolerance and non-judgment. — Rudy Simone

The world needs all types of minds. — Temple Grandin

As an autistic, I have thoughts and ideas of my own. Not all people on the spectrum think the same. — Tina J. Richardson

Remember a person with Autism isn't a set of symptoms or statistics always remember and remind them that they're a person first. — Paul Isaacs

Mild autism can give you a genius like Einstein. If you have severe autism, you could remain nonverbal. You don't want people to be on the severe end of the spectrum. But if you got rid of all the autism genetics, you wouldn't have science or art. All you would have is a bunch of social 'yak yaks.' — Temple Grandin

Metaphor isn't just a fancy turn of speech. It shapes our thoughts and feelings, reaches out to grasp new experience, and even binds our five disparate senses. James Geary's fascinating and utterly readable I is an Other brings the news on metaphor from literature and economics, from neuroscience and politics, illuminating topics from consumer behavior to autism spectrum disorders to the evolution of language. As a writer, as a teacher, and as someone just plain fascinated by how our minds work, I've been waiting years for exactly this book. — James Richardson

In the context of the autism world (and my outlook in general) this is were I stand equality is for everyone, everybody in the world - I look at both sides of the the coin and take into account peoples realities (that makes me neutral/moderate/in the middle).
That means that you look in a more three dimensional perspective of peoples diverse realities you cannot speak for all but one can learn from EACH OTHER through listening and experiencing.
I also try my best to live with the good cards I was given not over-investing in my autism being the defining factor of my being (but having a healthy acknowledgement of it) that it's there but also thinking about other qualities I have such as being a writer, poet and artist.
I do have disability, I do have autism and I have a "mild" learning disability that is true but I a human being first and foremost. And for someone to be seen as person equal to everyone else is a basic human right. — Paul Isaacs

I more the "Autism World" gets imploded with politics the less voices will be heard. — Paul Isaacs

If you can still wipe your own backside then life's not that bad! — E.J. Plows

I will not allow anxiety dictate the terms of my life — Jeanette Purkis

In America we've spent over a billion dollars on autism research. What have we got for that? We've not seen anything that's appreciably impacted the quality of life of autistic people, regardless of their place on the spectrum. Quite frankly, we've spent $1bn figuring out how to make mice autistic and we'll spend another $1bn figuring out how to make them not autistic. And that's not what the average person wakes up in the morning aspiring to. They think: am I going to be able to find a job, to communicate, to live independently, either on my own or with support? Those are the real priorities. — Ari Ne'eman

Respect for diversity doesn't just make a happier workplace, it improves productivity and is good for the business — Jeanette Purkis

Autism does exist on a spectrum, and there are so many manifestations of it, so many kinds of expressions of it. And every case is particular. — Claire Danes

Will interrupts him. "What do you know about people on the autism spectrum?" Owen — Leta Blake

As the diagnosis of autism is increasing the diagnosis of mental retardation is decreasing. And more and more on the other end, the high end, more children who are just a little bit off, who ordinarily you would not single out now are being described as perhaps Asperger's syndrome or on the high end of the autism spectrum, so I don't believe there is an epidemic. — Gerald Fischbach

My need to be where it is quiet is a real need. The world is way too intense to cope with every day. — Tina J. Richardson

Autism's a very big spectrum. At one end of the spectrum, Einstein would probably be labeled autistic, Steve Jobs, half of Silicon Valley, you know, Van Gogh. And at the other end of the spectrum, you got much more severe handicaps where they never learn to speak. — Temple Grandin

All people, whether Aspie or neuro-typical are predisposed by their society to make guesses, jump to conclusions and then seek to defend those conclusions, regardless of logic or changing circumstance. This is sloppy, illogical thinking which may not hinder your life too much, under normal circumstances. But if you want to be a great detective, then such thinking will absolutely ruin your chances. — Alexei Maxim Russell

I've met so many parents of the kids who are on the low end of the autism spectrum, kids who are diametrically opposed to Jacob, with his Asperger's. They tell me I'm lucky to have a son who's verbal, who is blisteringly intelligent, who can take apart the broken microwave and have it working again an hour later. They think there is no greater hell than having a son who is locked in his own world, unaware that there's a wider one to explore. But try having a son who is locked in his own world and still wants to make a connection. A son who tries to be like everyone else but truly doesn't know how. — Jodi Picoult

She felt lost and misunderstood. She felt like she was drowning. Overwhelmed. Unaccepted. Alone. — Tina J. Richardson

Sometimes i feel upset but don't have the word to explain what really is wrong. Because most of the time I'm not sure what is actually wrong. I have trouble recognizing my emotions and feelings. — Tina J. Richardson

There should be no single representation in the autism world. Think about this if someone got up on stage and talked about having "non-autistic syndrome" and made the assumption every one with this syndrome is the same we would be in big trouble. That applies to autism as well - it isn't one condition, there are profile differences between Autism and AS and all autism "fruits salads" are different. That is how diverse autism is. — Paul Isaacs

On occasions the person may appear ill-mannered; for example, one young man with Asperger's Syndrome wanted to attract his mother;s attention while she was talking to a group of her friends, and loudly said, 'Hey, you!', apparently unaware of the more appropriate means of addressing his mother in public. The child, being impulsive and not aware of the consequences, says the first thing that comes into their mind. Strangers may consider the child to be rude, inconsiderate or spoilt, giving the parents a withering look and assuming the unusual social behavior is a result of parental incompetence. They may comment, 'Well, if I had him for two weeks he would be a different child.' The parents' reaction may be that they would gladly let them have the child, as they need a rest, and to prove a point. — Tony Attwood

From a scientific standpoint, Aspergers and autism are one syndrome. Aspergers is part of the autism spectrum, not a separate disorder. — Temple Grandin

The more the "Autism World" is invested in politics it will continue to implode and more voices will be lost as a result — Paul Isaacs

I am now a faded image of my former being,
I let that persona go.
I like myself for who I am and I choose to be, me. — Tina J. Richardson

Routines provide an avenue to work through fear. He knew where we were going and what to expect and could make plans to conquer specific fears as all else was the same. It allowed focus. — Liz Becker

My autism is a very mild form. It was diagnosed at the age of 25, partly because it wasn't diagnosable as a teenager (this is Asperger's syndrome, specifically). But there were certainly traits within that condition, within the autism spectrum in general, especially at the high functioning end, that I think are best looked at as pluses. — Daniel Tammet

Ought one to surrender to authority even if one believed that that authority was wrong? If the answer was yes, then I knew that I would always be wrong, because I could never do it. Then how could one live in a world in which one's mind and perceptions meant nothing and authority and tradition meant everything? There were no answers. — Richard Wright

My brother was diagnosed with autism at age 2. At the time, I was young, so I didn't really understand what it all meant. The doctors thought there was a possibility my brother wouldn't be able to speak - he was diagnosed on the severe end of the spectrum. — Jacquelyn Jablonski

The aloof nature of autism leads to many misconceptions about the mind of individuals on the spectrum. Labeled as "being in a world of their own" is one of the absolute worst. Difficulty with communication and social interaction does not mean one is alien. Lack of eye contact does not mean they can't see. Wandering does not mean they are lost. — Liz Becker

You are the CEO of your own life. It;s you making the decisions — Jeanette Purkis

Steve Jobs was probably mildly on the autistic spectrum. Basically, you've probably known people who were geeky and socially awkward but very smart. When does geeks and nerds become autism? That's a gray area. Half the people in Silicon Valley probably have autism. — Temple Grandin

Autistic reality is of much value as non-Autistic reality — Jeanette Purkis

Know your own child's behaviors and look deeper to find their meaning. Be the expert for your child. Discover the wonderful. — Liz Becker

All autism is real it's a spectrum. — Tina J. Richardson

There are still so many unanswered questions about what causes autism and other developmental disorders on the spectrum. So it is vital that we continue to research and educate ourselves in the hopes that we may begin to understand the challenges that these children and their families continue to face with each passing day. — Manny Alvarez

20 years, we have experienced three unanticipated fads partly precipitated by DSM-IV: a 20-fold increase in Autism Spectrum Disorder,7 a tripling of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD),8 and a doubling of Bipolar Disorders.9 The most dangerous fad is a 40-fold increase in childhood Bipolar Disorders,10 stimulated, not by DSM-IV, but instead by reckless and misleading drug company marketing. Twenty percent of the U.S. population11 is taking a psychotropic drug; 7% is addicted to one; and overdoses with legal drugs now cause more emergency room visits than overdoses with illegal drugs. — Allen Frances

Matt is the light of my life. When he's away the world seems a bit darker, as if the color of life has drained away. — Liz Becker

It is never too late to expand the mind of a person on the autism spectrum. — Temple Grandin

I feel everything intensely, but sometimes I can't feel anything, I'm either hyper aware or numb. — Tina J. Richardson

there was a time I was dark, sad and a recluse
I did not understand why I felt like I did.Then my life changed.
I was diagnosed and suddenly my world made sense. — Tina J. Richardson

I want you to understand I'm not lost in my own world, I'm just hiding from yours — Tina J. Richardson

The light filtered through the trees, rays of sunlight splitting around the vast trunks, the branches above us fluttering in a faint wind, and the green needles of Douglas Firs shimmering silver underneath in the breeze. — Ned Hayes

One in 150 kids is autistic these days. The autism spectrum is growing. — Luke Ford

I go to all the appointments. All the meetings. I sit with the team of inclusion teachers, occupational therapists, doctors, social workers, remedial teachers, and the cab driver that gets him from appointment to appointment, and I push for everything that can be done for my autistic boy. But I will never have a plan that will fix him. Noah is not something to be fixed.
And our life will never be normal. And people always say,
oh well what's normal, there's no such thing really, and I say
sure there is ... there's a spectrum ... and there's lots and lots of possibilities within that spectrum, and trust me buddy, ducks on the moon ain't one of them ... .but ... .
In this abnormal life, I get to live with a pirate,
and a bird fancier, and an ogre, and a hedgehog, and many many superheroes, and aliens and monsters
and an angel.
I get to go to infinity and beyond. — Kelley Jo Burke