Dr. Stephen Shore, co-lead of the Autistic Health Project, speaks about what he calls the ‘Three A’s of Autism’
Beginning with Awareness, or being able to recognize autism when it is seen, provides a firm foundation to the second step of Acceptance.
The Acceptance stage focuses on transitioning from a deficit to an abilities based model of autism by asking what can the individual do, in contrast to just concentrating on the challenging areas. Another aspect of Acceptance is the idea of working with the characteristics of autism as opposed to doing things to people on the spectrum.
The 3rd and final step is Appreciation – where those on the autism spectrum are valued for whom they are and their contributions to society. Glimmers of Appreciation can be found in IT companies such as Microsoft and the accounting firm Ernst & Young, which actively seek individuals with autism as their employees.
That said, significant challenges from having autism still exist and must be addressed – but not at the expense of harnessing the often-considerable strengths people on the spectrum can bring to society.
Learn more about Dr. Shore and the Autistic Health Project:
www.autistichealth.org/