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A challenge for those who decide on graphics to accompany autism articles—maybe AVOID: 1) A bald silhouetted human head in profile 2) A stylized human brain 3) Puzzle pieces 4) Any combination of the above Thank you. (So tiresome.)

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I wrote a blog post about pictures depicting autism a while back! I was tired of the pictures of sad/upset white kids and I suggested that people branch out with demographics and even try (gasp) showing happy people. misslunarose.home.blog/2024/03/03/a...

misslunarose.home.blogAutism in a Picture: An Autistic Artist’s Tips for Positive ChoicesHow do you represent autism in a way that encourages empathy and inclusion instead of isolation? Here are my tips for choosing the right picture.

I couldn't agree more. Every picture that depicts autistic people as sad white kids is reinforcing the stereotype and inequalities in support. I still see puzzle piece logos around and wonder what planet the illustrators have been living on.

It's because these people aren't autistic themselves so they barely understand our perspectives and because our traits aren't easily relatable, but that will NEVER be an excuse to literally be ableist in pictures, wording and so on. Everyone should treat us with respect.

I wish they'd do a little research on our lives and issues instead of just copying the things they've already seen. Maybe then they'd challenge dominant narratives instead of repeating them