banner
LightNews
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN)
@autisticadvocacy.org
12K followers 170 following 1.4K posts
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization run by and for autistic people. https://autisticadvocacy.org/
autisticadvocacy.org
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Pinned
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · Jul 16
Plain Language is really important to ASAN and our community. Learn about what Plain Language is and why it matters in this post!

We want to make more of our social media Plain Language. It is important for our posts to be accessible to more people!
Textured dark blue background. Large white text reads: What is Plain Language? Inside a light blue box text reads: Plain Language is a way of writing that uses cognitively accessible language. Cognitively accessible language means that anyone can understand your writing easily. For example, people with different intellectual and developmental disabilities. The ASAN logo is at the bottom. Light blue textured background. Large dark blue text reads: Why is Plain Language important? Black text reads: People with disabilities should have equal access to information You can write about any topic in Plain Language. You can even write about topics that are very technical or complex. All writing should be cognitively accessible or have a cognitively accessible version. But most people write in ways that are not cognitively accessible. They might not understand why Plain Language matters. It is important for more people to write in Plain Language. Plain Language writing is really important for topics that affect disabled people! Remember: nothing about us, without us! Light blue textured background. Large dark blue text reads: What does Plain Language look like? Black text reads: These are some of the parts of Plain Language writing: Have shorter sentences & paragraphs. Use simpler words. Define important, complex words. Use examples to help readers understand ideas. Avoid info that isn’t important. Use clear & straightforward language. Use active voice instead of passive voice. For example, “she called her doctor” instead of “the doctor was called.” Textured dark blue background. Inside a light blue box text reads: ASAN makes toolkits and resources in Plain Language. We also write Plain Language Roundups. The Roundups tell people about what’s happening with the government and what people can do. We want to write more things in Plain Language, like posts on our social media! It is important for our posts to be accessible to more people. The ASAN logo is at the bottom.
1 33 69
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 1d
President Trump and Secretary RFK Jr. continued to spread untrue info about autism today. They said people who were circumcised were more likely to be autistic. This is not true. It is another example of lies that hurt autistic people and our families.
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 17d
Monday’s press conference with President Trump, RFK, and other members of HHS leadership contained false and harmful information about autism, acetaminophen, and vaccines. Read our full statement in formal language and plain language here: autisticadvocacy.org/2025/09/asan...
ASAN Condemns Administration's Rampant Misinformation about Autism, Acetaminophen, and Vaccines; Calls for Respectful, Fact-Based Approach - Autistic Self Advocacy Network
On September 22nd, President Trump, RFK, and other members of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) leadership held a press conference that contained false and harmful information about…
autisticadvocacy.org
1 22 34
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 2d
Our Annual Gala theme this year is The State of Autistic Advocacy: Then, Now, and Beyond. Join us as we celebrate and learn from our past work, evaluate the current state of the movement, and look forward with hope and determination. Get your tickets today: secure.everyaction.com/bs4aLF5-m0m1...
Illustrated megaphone held by a Black hand on the right side. Words coming out of the megaphone say: The State of Autistic Advocacy:. Below, protest signs hold up the words: Then, Now, And Beyond! Text below reads: ASAN’s Annual Gala. Join us virtually to celebrate our community on Thursday, October 30th. The ASAN logo is at the bottom.
2 12
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 3d

Every big medical group says conversion programs hurt LGBTQIA+ kids and their families. The Supreme Court listened to arguments about if Colorado's law should keep being a law. The Supreme Court must protect kids from conversion programs in all states! Learn more: www.advocate.com/news/chiles-...
How the Supreme Court’s conversion therapy case could reshape LGBTQ+ protections across America
Here's what to know about the case as oral arguments tee off the high court's next term.
www.advocate.com
7 15
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 3d
The law means that means Colorado therapists aren't allowed to promise trans people they can be cis if they 'try hard enough.' It also means Colorado therapists aren't allowed to promise gay people they can be straight if they 'try hard enough.'
1 2 10
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 3d
On October 7, the Supreme Court heard about Chiles v. Salazar. Chiles v. Salazar is an important court case. It is about Colorado's law on conversion programs. Colorado has a good law that protects young people from conversion programs.
1 4 12
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 5d
Want to support our policy work, help us create more accessible resources to equip our community with the info they need to understand what’s happening, and get some great perks while you're at it? Pledge your support today! autisticadvocacy.org/join
Become an ASAN member!
We’re proud to announce the release of our new and improved membership options! These monthly membership plans come with special perks, along with a membership-exclusive supplement to the ASAN…
autisticadvocacy.org
5 14
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 7d
We are deeply concerned to see ICE put an autistic child at risk. Our children and families deserve better. www.wcvb.com/article/ice-...
DHS denies using child as 'bait'; Family shares video of incident
Video shows federal immigration agents surrounding a child outside a Massachusetts home while the family said agents were trying to draw her father outside.
www.wcvb.com
22 44
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 7d
A mother says that her autistic 5-year-old was left "scared and afraid" after ICE agents surrounded the child last week, keeping her separated from her family, allegedly in order to detain her father.
DHS denies using child as 'bait'; Family shares video of incident
Video shows federal immigration agents surrounding a child outside a Massachusetts home while the family said agents were trying to draw her father outside.
www.wcvb.com
1 17 32
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 9d
ASAN has been in the news! Check out this collection of recent stories featuring quotes from ASAN staff in major publications: autisticadvocacy.org/2025/10/asan...
4 9
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 9d
Join us on Thursday, October 30th for ASAN’s Annual Gala! This virtual event is a celebration of our community. We’ll have panels and our awards ceremony – keep an eye out for upcoming announcements of our panelists and awardees! More info here: secure.everyaction.com/bs4aLF5-m0m1...
Watercolor orange background. There’s an illustration of a Black hand holding a megaphone. Text coming out of the megaphone says: Save the Date! Text below says ASAN’s 2025 Annual Gala. Thursday, October 30th. The ASAN logo is at the bottom.
3 5
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 10d
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is a way to communicate without talking, like using a letter board or typing on an iPad. We want AAC available for anyone who needs it, and for autistic people to be supported to communicate in the way that works best for us.
Watercolor orange background, blue text reads: “October is Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Acceptance month.” There’s a graphic of a blue AAC device that says “Happy AAC Acceptance Month!” Below, text says, “Communication is a human right!” The ASAN logo is below.
1 26 40
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 10d
As the autumn days get cooler, our advocacy work is heating up. We’re been hard at work alongside our community this month. Take a look at what we've been up to! autisticadvocacy.org/2025/09/asan...
4 10
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 12d
This article from ASAN's Executive Director Colin Killick talks about how policies and misinformation from the Trump administration hurt and ignore autistic people. www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
I'm autistic. Trump and RFK Jr. must stop treating us like a plague to be eradicated.
Evidence for Trump's Tylenol claim is weak. Yet no prior administration has cared less about what either autism experts or autistic people have to say
www.usatoday.com
23 55
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 13d
This article talks about misinformation about autism from the Trump administration and what some autistic people think about it. The administration seems to care about autism as a problem. The administration does not seem to care about autistic people as people. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/23/u...
‘Autism Doesn’t Need a Cure’: Trump’s Message Rankles People Living With the Disability
Some welcomed more research and possible new treatments. But the administration’s embrace of unproven science and depiction of autism as a “crisis” has sown deep mistrust.
www.nytimes.com
1 14 32
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 14d
Today is the 52nd Anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act! Take some time to learn about this important milestone in disability history!
Watercolor orange background. Text reads: Today is the 52nd Anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Take some time today to learn about this act and why it is important to our community! The ASAN logo is at the bottom. Watercolor orange background. Text reads: What is the Rehabilitation Act of 1973? The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was the first federal disability rights law. This law is also known as the Rehab Act. The purpose of the Rehab Act was to stop discrimination against disabled people by the federal government or any organizations using federal funding. What is Section 504? Section 504 was part of the Rehab Act. It was the first federal civil rights law passed to protect people with disabilities. It said that programs that receive federal funding cannot discriminate against disabled people. Watercolor orange background. Text reads: For many years, the government delayed implementing section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. In 1977, disabled activists, along with other community organizations like the Black Panthers, occupied the San Francisco Health, Education, and Welfare federal building for 28 days, winning their demand for the enforcement of section 504. Like the disabled activists who fought for 504, ASAN will continue to work to protect and expand disability rights!
13 23
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 15d
"Autistic lives are worth living – that includes people who are nonspeaking, people who have higher support needs, people of color. All means all." www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2025/09/22/autism-groups-community-respond-trump-rfk-autism-tylenol/86291656007/
'We've regressed so horribly': Autism groups respond to Trump administration's Tylenol claims
The Trump administration claimed Monday that it had found the "answer to autism," drawing backlash from advocacy groups, experts and the community.
www.usatoday.com
20 49
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 17d
Monday’s press conference with President Trump, RFK, and other members of HHS leadership contained false and harmful information about autism, acetaminophen, and vaccines. Read our full statement in formal language and plain language here: autisticadvocacy.org/2025/09/asan...
ASAN Condemns Administration's Rampant Misinformation about Autism, Acetaminophen, and Vaccines; Calls for Respectful, Fact-Based Approach - Autistic Self Advocacy Network
On September 22nd, President Trump, RFK, and other members of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) leadership held a press conference that contained false and harmful information about…
autisticadvocacy.org
51 58
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 18d
Today, the President held a press conference with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other members of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) leadership. During the press conference, speakers shared harmful, false information about autism, acetaminophen, and vaccines. An HHS that does not provide accurate information to the President and make safe, science-informed decisions puts us all at grave risk. ASAN will release a full statement about this in the coming days. Today and always: autistic people belong.
1 87 160
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 18d
Support community reparations for Autistic People of Color through the Autistic People of Color Fund! autismandrace.com/autistic-peo...
autismandrace.com
3 15
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 21d
This article explains how flawed research is used to spread misinformation that vaccines cause autism. Note that ASAN does not agree with the author that researching the cause of autism is a good use of resources. But the article is still very informative. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Opinion | The Playbook Used to ‘Prove’ Vaccines Cause Autism (Gift Article)
Data can easily be manipulated to show causation that doesn’t exist.
www.nytimes.com
3 14 34
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 22d
HHS put out a plan called the Make America Healthy Again Strategy last week. It says what some people in the government think needs to happen for kids in America to get healthier. Our explainer talks about what is in the strategy and the problems with it. autisticadvocacy.org/2025/09/expl...
Textured grey background. Blue text reads: Explaining the Make America Healthy Again Strategy. Formal language and plain language statement on website. Textured grey background with blue box. Text inside reads: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) put out a plan called the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Strategy last week. The MAHA Strategy says what some people in the U.S. government think needs to happen for children in America to get healthier. The way the MAHA strategy talks about sick kids shows that HHS doesn’t understand the problems sick kids have. The MAHA Strategy will: Spread wrong health information Make rules that make it harder to get vaccines Make it harder to get medications for people with ADHD and mental health disabilities Give money to badly-made studies that spread wrong health information ASAN thinks the leader of HHS, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.), should not get to lead HHS. He is bad at his job, and his ideas hurt people. ASAN will keep saying that RFK Jr. should not be the Secretary of HHS. We will also keep talking to people in the government who make decisions.
6 18
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 23d
Bienvenidos a la Comunidad Autista, nuestra introducción a lo que significa ser autista y nuestros derechos como personas autistas, es gratuita y está disponible en línea para todos: autisticadvocacy.org/book/bienven...
Bienvenidos a la Comunidad Autista - Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Este libro trata sobre lo que significa ser parte de la comunidad autista. Las personas autistas escribieron este libro. Algunas personas autistas apenas están aprendiendo sobre su autismo. Queríamos…
autisticadvocacy.org
2 4
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 25d
Latine Heritage Month starts today, September 15th, and goes until October 15th. It is a time to celebrate the histories, cultures, and experiences of Latines, or people from Latin America. Here at ASAN, we celebrate and uplift disabled and autistic Latines!
Dark blue textured background. Text reads: September 15th-October 15th is Latine Heritage Month! ASAN celebrates and uplifts disabled and autistic Latines! There are some colorful flourishes in the corner and along the right side are some fruits from Latin America (papaya, guava, pitaya). The ASAN logo is at the bottom. Dark blue textured background. Text reads: What is Latine? Latine is a word for people who are from Latin America. It also includes people whose ancestors come from Latin America. There are other words that some people use for this month. Some people use “Hispanic Heritage Month,” “Latino Heritage Month,” or “Latinx Heritage Month.” Hispanic means people who are from Spanish speaking countries. Some people do not like the term Hispanic because it focuses on the relationship to Spain. Some Indigenous people from Latin America do not like being called Hispanic. Hispanic includes people from Spain. It excludes people from Latin America who don’t speak Spanish. For example, the official language of Brazil is Portuguese. So Brazilians are from Latin America, but aren’t Hispanic. Latino is another word for people who are from Latin America. Spanish is a gendered language. This means that some words are feminine and some words are masculine. Words that end in “o” like Latino are masculine. They also can refer to groups of people that include men and other genders. Words that end in “a,” like Latina, are feminine. Latina means a woman from Latin America. Dark blue textured background. There is an orange drawing of Latin America on the right side. Text reads: Some people think gendered language promotes the gender binary. The gender binary is the idea that there are only two genders: men and women. This is wrong. There are more than two genders. Some people who are not men or women do not feel like they are Latino or Latina. This is why people have started to create more gender neutral words. Gender neutral language does not assign genders to words. It doesn’t exclude people who are outside of the gender binary. Latinx is one gender neutral term for people from Latin America. Some people identify as Latinx. “X” is hard to pronounce in Spanish, so many native Spanish speakers do not like this term. “E” is easier to pronounce in Spanish. Latine is a gender neutral term that is accessible to Spanish speakers. That’s why we celebrate Latine Heritage Month at ASAN! Dark blue textured background. On the right side are some illustrations of Latin American food (elote - roasted corn with toppings, feijoada - a meat and bean stew, and alfajores – sandwich cookies). Text reads: How do you celebrate Latine Heritage Month? Learn about Latine histories Try a new food from somewhere in Latin America Follow disabled Latine creators on social media Advocate for cultural competence in autism services and supports
7 13
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 27d
We’re proud to co-host with The Kelsey - Protect Housing for Disabled People: Understanding National Threats and Calls to Action

🗓 Sept 22 | 3–4:30pm ET
🖥 Online | Free | ASL + captions
Register today: bit.ly/4nf5EfQ
Light background with logos of ASAN, NCIL, Bazelon Center, New Disabled South, and the Kelsey at the bottom. Text reads: Join Us. Protect Housing for Disabled People: Understanding National Threats and Calls to Action. September 22, 2025. 3-4:30 PM ET. Zoom.
7 11
autisticadvocacy.org
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 28d
New blog! Marcy Waring writes about the connections between the LGBTQ community and disabled community. Check it out to learn about the intersections, shared fights, and shared futures. autisticadvocacy.org/2025/09/lgbt...
Orange gradient background with large light orange stripes going across in different directions. There is a light blue diagonal stripe in the top left corner. In large blue text, “New Blog Post!” goes across one of the orange stripes near the top. There’s a quote box that is light blue with rounded corners, inside is the quote, “Public displays of joy, rage, activism, and community from historically “othered” groups are powerful because they bring us together. We need to be together in understanding that our futures are connected wherein a win for one of us is a win for all of us.” Across a lower orange stripe is the text: Marcy Waring — LGBTQ and Disabled Communities: Social Struggles We Share
4 8