# Transitioning from autism self-advocacy to advocating for the neurodiverse community

## TL;DR

The paper discusses the author's journey from autism self-advocacy to advocating for the broader neurodiverse community, emphasizing the role of education and support networks.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is the personal and academic analysis of how autism self-advocacy can lead to broader advocacy for neurodiversity through education and community support.

## Key findings

- Education is a transformative force that enables self-advocacy and broader advocacy for neurodiverse individuals.
- A network of care and support is essential for sustaining autism self-advocacy and expanding it to the neurodiverse community.
- Raising awareness through advocacy changes community perceptions and supports the inclusion of individuals with autism.

## Abstract

In this article, I reflect on my continuing journey of becoming an autism self-advocate and how this has extended to advocate for the broader neurodiverse community.

I aimed to provide an academic analysis of the value of autism self-advocacy with special reference to building resilience to confront discrimination and advocating for equal opportunities, support and inclusion.

My autoethnographic reflections are fused with those of my co-constructors to present critical incidents that defined my journey of becoming an internationally recognised advocate for autism.

Education has been the transformative force that has changed my life, granting me opportunities to advocate for my broader neurodiverse community on various local and international platforms and guiding me to create an ecosystem of family and professionals who continuously support me and others who are neurodiverse. My advocacy, which aims at raising autism awareness, has changed the perceptions of the community of practice as well as others with an interest in supporting and including individuals living with autism in a significant way.

A network of care and support is required to sustain autism self-advocacy and to build on it to advocate for the broader neurodiverse community.

This demonstrates the need for educating stakeholders to raise their expectations for autistic children and adults and for teachers and psychologists to continue supporting families and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to realise their full human potential.