Today it's expected that the federal administration is going to make an announcement claiming to have found a "cause" for autism and their plan for what to do about it. Members of AU's team had a discussion about what sort of statement we wanted to make and came to this conclusion: those of us who are impacted by this sort of rhetoric (actual autistic people) have known for a very long time that this was coming.

Despite research proving time and again there is no one "cause" for the autistic neurotype, people still want something to "blame". The real epidemic here is ableism. The amount of time and energy presumably spent on naming autism a "public health crisis" should be spent on solving actual public health crises (such as the overwhelmingly horrifying reality of black maternal mortality rates) and finding ways to support autistic people, not "cure" them. We have no interest in entertaining this announcement but what we do want is the unredacted Epstein files

and if you think tylenol causes autism, don’t forget the first person to get a documented, clinical diagnosis was born before tylenol existed

Brown font on a golden background that says "Disabled isn't a f*cking bad word", also decorated with several images that represent disabilities

July is Disability Pride Month.
We are disabled.
Not "differently abled."
Not "handicapable."
The word "disabled" is not something to be afraid of, and it's certainly not a f*cking bad word.

image of a birthday cupcake with a number four candle on it

AU is four years old today!! if you’re in boston come on down to the Civic Pavilion at 5:00 pm - 5 Congress St. to celebrate with us and meet some other awesome organizations!

Image of Boston’s Disability Community Forum flyer. Important information includes Date: May 8th, 2025. Time: 2 - 3:30pm. Location: Suffolk University Law School 120 Tremont St. Boston MA. Visit www.boston.gov/disability-forum to register and submit questions in advance. ASL and CART will be available. A sensory friendly room will available.

Hey Autistic Folks in Boston— @disabilitycommission.boston.gov is looking for your input!

Visit their table at AU Day, this Tuesday
April 29th from 5-8:30 pm at Boston's Civic Pavilion (5 Congress St. Boston) to ask questions and register for the event!

When & Where? April 29, 2025 5 PM - 8:30 PM @ City Hall Civic Pavilion 5 Congress St. Boston What is Autistics Unmasked Day? An event where we hope to raise awareness of Autistics Unmasked, develop partnerships with Boston-based organizations that serve similar populations with similar missions, recruit team members, and provide autistic people with resources from tabling organizations (there may even be a live performance as well!) * Admission is FREE! FREE food & beverages will also be available!

❗️Updated day and location ❗️April is Autism Acceptance Month & this year, we’re bringing you something very special- The very first AU Day! A free event to celebrate autistic pride & provide connections to resources for autistic folks in Boston. Link in bio to register

We hope to see you there!!

For Autistics in the Boston area!

#Autistic in Boston area -

Please continue watching this space for updates on an upcoming AU event in Boston, MA.

Rest assured, though our work has just gotten exponentially more difficult, we will continue to advocate for and support the autistic community the way we always have. Vaccines save lives and the Autistic Neurotype is not a disease.

The Team at AU is deeply disturbed by the news that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been confirmed as Secretary of Health and Hunan Services. We know that his hateful, ableist and eugenics basked rhetoric may begin to impact the autistic community even more.

ASAN Opposes Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Nomination to Head HHS - Autistic Self Advocacy Network The Autistic Self Advocacy Network urges the Senate not to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy’s long record of spreading misinformation…

Autistic people, the disability community, and the nation’s public health will all suffer if Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is confirmed. #StopRFK

Thanks for sharing. Autism isn’t a disease or an illness. It’s part of who I am. I’m not sick and I don’t need a cure. I’ll pick “TRAITS” for $500.

Autistic “symptoms” vs “traits”. Which word does the autistic community prefer and why?

When you get and illness or disease you begin not to feel like yourself. You’re tired, grouchy, coughing, etc. Then you rest, or take medicine, or whatever, and the goal is to remove the illness so that you can begin to feel like yourself again. Basically, the ways that you aren’t yourself are called symptoms.

Here lies the confusion, many people think that Autism works in a similar fashion. It doesn’t, because autism isn’t an illness, it’s a neurotype. When we show our autistic traits is when we feel most like ourselves, and if anyone were ever to remove our autism we would NO LONGER be ourselves.

The goal isn’t to remove autism, and using words like symptoms to describe us being us makes it feel like that is the goal. We use traits and similar language so we don’t feel like we are ourselves are an illness or disease. So, the next time you are describing Autism please use the word Trait instead of Symptom.

Autistic “symptoms” vs “traits”. Which word does the autistic community prefer and why?

At Autistics Unmasked, we believe that everyone deserves the right to bodily autonomy. We have compiled a document with an on-going list of resources for people who have just lost that autonomy. Visit the Linktree in our bio and scroll down until you get to the final link labeled "Rainy Day Resources” to access this document. If you have any reliable and safe resources that you would like to share, please submit them to the second-to-last link in our Linktree labeled "Brain Storming". -The Team At Autistics Unmasked [ID: Text is overlayed on a beige square with a light and dark green striped background. End ID.]

We posted this on June 26, 2022 and this resource still exists for those who need it.

We understand 🫂 there is no shortage of ignorance in this world and as it relates to the autistic neurotype it often seems to be to extremes

Was this response meant for us?

Oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services - Senate Hearing on 1/29 ⭑ 5 Calls The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States’ principal federal health agency and the world’s largest public health …

Take action to #StopRFK! His long record of spreading misinformation about autism in particular and public health in general makes him a disastrous choice for HHS Secretary.

Wow! This is a fascinating piece of history, thank you for sharing!

Thank you for sharing this space with us!
-The Team at Autistics Umasked

Stay tuned for information on a “listening session” where you’ll have the opportunity to tell us what you think the autistic community needs most.

As we make our way back into the advocacy space after taking a hiatus to support our team through burnout, we hope to hear more from our community about what needs we can offer support for.

Autistics Unmasked Autistics Advocating for Autistics

We also provide professional development support for educators of autistic people and a course on service dog education. On our website, www.autisticsunmasked.org you can find all this information and more!

Am I Autistic? Your Guide To Self-Evaluation And Navigating The Clinical Assessment Process Most autistic people are likely undiagnosed, unidentified adults. With the increased awareness and the amplified voices …

We are most known for our self assessment guide— A Guide to Self-Evaluation & Navigating The Clinical Assessment Process. which is a free resource offered on our website. You can learn more about it here: autisticsunmasked.org/am-i-autistic/

We are Autistics Unmasked (AU), an autistic self advocacy organization ran entirely by autistic people. We were founded in 2021 by two queer, autistic, black sisters (#AddToBlackSky) who saw a need for an advocacy organization that centers voices of the Global Majority.

Welcome, welcome old friends and new! We are excited to share this space with you. We have a fun announcement coming very soon and lots of opportunities to take part in too!

A field full of red clover flowers.

American toad behind a few blades of grass.

Yellowy common dandelion

Underneath the big glass window is the tiniest art exhibit I have ever seen. It was gone the next weekend.

If this was July 27 instead of January 27 you might see this:

The first person to be diagnosed as autistic passed away last year at 89 years old. Please remember this if you find yourself being hypercritical of “all these people being diagnosed as autistic now”. The first documented clinical autism diagnosis was made less than 100 years ago.

The solution for autistic parents struggling with parenthood is not to “not have kids” it’s to provide them the support resources they need.