The Disability Visibility Project compiles #ADA30InColor, a series of essays on the past, present, and future of disability rights and justice by 13 disabled BIPOC writers.

“I’ll always see the world in a slightly different way than most people, but I’ve figured out a system that works for me, and it gives me great strength.” For Autism Awareness Day, Justin McElroy reflects on life on the spectrum.

M. Kelter at Invisible Strings on work, coping, and autism: “The words people say slowly turn into a staccato exchange, a call and answer that makes me think of birds. I listen along and pitch in verbal pauses and silences that hopefully convey a subtle attentiveness.”

“I became aware of this phenomenon—people believing fiction is true—some years before this mass delusion about a popular novel swept the nation.” At The Mendocino Humanist, Todd Walton recounts his experiences with audiences who assume his stories are autobiographical.

Thoughts from Sonia Boue: “My humanness is not other — it is a parallelogram of your humanness. A mirror in which to see yourself (at times).”

On how an Autistic son copes with loss: “At last, he asked how I felt. A grief inquisition ensued. As if he knew emotion collapses me inward, Tyoma tugged and pulled each word out of me, like an invasive, but beneficial medical procedure.”

Steve Silberman, the author of NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity, explores the challenges faced by autistic people of color in gaining access to proper health care.

“How do you explain to someone what it’s like to not have something that you don’t even know exists? It’s like trying to describe silence to someone who has always lived their life beneath a roaring waterfall. They won’t hear the water. They’ll take it for granted. They’ll say, ‘This is silence.'”

April is Autism Awareness Month, and at The Autistic Beekeeper, Stef talks about the reluctance of many people — including close friends and family — to even utter the word “autism.”

“There is no lack of empathy, but rather an unmanageable abundance that defies my best intentions.” Emma Zurcher-Long is Autistic. What she can’t communicate with speech is ably made up for by her piercing writing.

“I have never wondered if my son loves me — not once. However, unlike his sisters, he does not show love in typical ways…. Love comes in all shapes, sizes, and messages. As a parent with an autistic child, I would hope that most of us understand this…” Erin Hunt, one of the writers at Rocky Parenting, writes about how her son shows love.