04/16/2025
People keep saying, “It’s not about awareness anymore, it’s about acceptance.”
But here’s the thing: you can’t accept what you don’t even understand.
When your child is nonverbal, profoundly autistic, and can’t tell you what hurts… when they need 1:1 care 24/7, and they’re still at risk of running into traffic or swallowing something dangerous, you can’t afford to pretend awareness isn’t still needed.
Acceptance is important. But awareness is survival for families like mine.
We still need doctors who understand profound autism. Teachers. Policymakers. Neighbors. Extended family. The world.
I’m tired of being told that we don’t need awareness anymore. It’s not done. If anything, we’ve skipped over the hard parts because they’re uncomfortable to talk about.
But the kids and adults with the highest needs? They deserve to be seen too. Fully. Not just “accepted”. They need to be understood.
No awareness, no acceptance. It’s that simple.
