What Does a Good Autism Organization Look Like?
A good autism organization should follow only reputable, peer-reviewed science, not encourage snake oil treatments based on unverified anecdotal evidence.

A good autism organization should repudiate any 'treatment' which would be considered cruel or inhumane if applied to people of normal neurology.

A good autism organization should listen to the perspectives of autistics when making important decisions, or, better yet, actively include them in the decision-making process.

A good autism organization should not use labels of functioning level, (either 'too high-' or 'too low-functioning'), to dismiss the perspectives of autistics.

A good autism organization should view society's inability to provide autistics with the tools or niches they need to thrive as the true enemy, not autistics or autism itself.

A good autism organization should focus on working to change society to give autistics a place to fit, in addition to or instead of working only to change autistics to fit into society.

A good autism organization should encourage whatever behaviors, technologies, and adaptations best allow autistics to function and thrive in society, even if these adaptations come at the expense of appearing less 'normal'.

A good autism organization should acknowledge the joys of living with (or being) autistic people in addition to the tribulations, and should acknowledge autistic strengths as well as autistic weaknesses.

A good autism organization should not frame autistic strengths as evidence of deficits.

A good autism organization should not act as if developmental delays are developmental stasis, nor that not acquiring a skill 'on schedule' means that it will never be acquired.

A good autism organization should address, or at least acknowledge, the existence and struggles of adult autistics as well as those of children.

A good autism organization should not assume that not being able to communicate is the same as not being able to think, nor that not being able to speak is the same as not having anything to say.

A good autism organization should acknowledge that the communication deficit goes both ways.

A good autism organization should encourage and respect all methods of communication, whether spoken or not.

A good autism organization should not contribute to, affiliate with, or otherwise promote other organizations whose ethics are in opposition to its own.

A good autism organization should treat autistics with the same respect, dignity, and compassion as they treat non-autistics.


These 'shoulds' are not exorbitant demands. They are matters of BASIC HUMAN DECENCY. They should not be at all difficult.