4 Ways to Celebrate Autistic Pride Day

The autistic community spans every corner of the globe, with more than 75 million people being diagnosed with autism across the world, and even more who are self-identified. The community is such a wonderful, magical, beautiful and diverse group of people, and we deserve to take pride in who we are. The glimmer, or “spark,” inside every autistic person is special and deserves to be recognized and celebrated by both autistics and allistics everywhere. Autistic pride is every day that we show up and be our unique selves, and autism appreciation should also be every day. However, we do have Autistic Pride Day on June 18, and that’s awesome, too. It also coincides with Pride Month, which is even cooler for individuals who belong to both the autistic community and LGBTQ+ community.

But what’s the best way to celebrate Autistic Pride Day? We’re here to help you figure out the best ways to recognize autistic pride. Not only on a specific day in mid-June but every day before and after that.

Read on to learn about the history of the global day, how people celebrate the day and how you can use it to shine a light on the beauty in every corner of the autistic community.

How did Autistic Pride Day get started?

Autistic Pride Day is a global event that takes place on June 18 every year. It was created by Aspies for Freedom and was celebrated for the first time back in 2005. That date was chosen because it was the birthday of the campaigning group’s youngest member at the time. The day is represented by a rainbow infinity symbol.

This day is a celebration to not only recognize the importance of pride in the autistic community, but also recognize their positive influence on society. It promotes self-affirmation, equality and identity of autistic people.

What we love about the day is that it’s led by autistic people as opposed to organizations. It’s also about shifting people’s views of autism by disproving misconceptions and showing the unique strengths and qualities of autistic people as something to be celebrated, not fixed.

How Autistic Pride Day is celebrated

While Autistic Pride Day hasn’t had a ton of large events or parades in the past, especially in the U.S., it’s a day that has still been recognized and celebrated around the world since its inception. The events don’t always take place exactly on June 18, with many being held throughout the entire month.

There have been quite a few large Autistic Pride Day events held in London over the years, especially picnics featuring speakers and entertainment. And there have actually been online Autistic Pride Day celebrations, which allow autistic people all over the world to join in the festivities.

It’s also worth noting that there are many LGBTQ+ Pride parades that take place in June, which can be a great celebratory event for everyone involved. Just be prepared for lots of crowds, sounds and rainbows, which may be too much for some. You can still celebrate Pride in a way that makes sense for you!

Be sure to search for local Autistic Pride Day events near you.

How you can celebrate Autistic Pride Day

Even if there isn’t an Autistic Pride Day event near you, there are plenty of ways that you can celebrate the autistic community, whether you’re autistic or not. Some of the best ways to recognize the day, support the neurodiversity movement, shine a light on the wonderful people in this community, and contribute to the message that autistic people deserve to be loved and accepted:

Support autistic creators — There is limitless creativity and innovation in the autism community; many talented individuals use the internet to share their talents, thoughts and experiences with people both in and out of the autistic community. From social media content, YouTube videos, artists, musicians, and in general countless autistic people sharing their unique “spark” with the world, there are so many wonderful autistic creators you can support by sharing their content online and letting them know how their voice has impacted you. Support autistic talent! Support autistic educators! Support autistic contributions, because we are lucky to have them.

Buy from autistic-owned businesses — Whether it’s a product that they make themselves or a service that they provide, seek out autistic-owned businesses that you can support. If you can’t afford to buy their product or service, you can still show support by engaging with them on social media and sharing information about their business online so they can be supported by others. If you have an autistic-owned business that you would like to be included on our website, let us know!

Lift autistic voices — Every autistic voice matters, but who has been the most impactful for you? Is there an autistic voice that you feel has made a significant impact in the community? Share the messages of those voices with people around you as an example of how autistic people make a real difference in society. Shine a spotlight on the voices that deserve to be heard.

Connect with the autistic community — One of the best ways to celebrate autistic pride is by joining forces and building relationship with others in our beautifully vast community. Connect with other autistic people either in person or online to share your experiences and support one another. Find groups and organizations where you can meet other autistic people and celebrate together. If you are looking to be connected with community, reach out to us and we can help.

NeuroSpark celebrates Autistic Pride Day every day

At NeuroSpark, we pride ourselves on authenticity. We’re here to help you celebrate who you are on Autistic Pride Day, along with every other day.

Our one-on-one coaching and accommodations consulting can help you find confidence and contentment in your life. We are also offering therapy in select states and are taking great care to consciously expand our network of neurodiversity-affirming therapy to include more states.

Contact our team today for more information or to schedule a consultation.