The Pledge for Autistic Acceptance - by @AutSciPerson
As a non-autistic person, I pledge to
1. Not force eye contact onto other people
2. Not assume autistic people aren't paying attention when not looking at me.
3. Not assume negative intentions based on tone of voice, body language, or facial expression
4. Not assume others have picked up on the same non-verbal cues I have.
5. Try hard to learn to listen to the words and not "read between the lines."
6. Not default to in-person/video meetings as the main mode of communication, but offer email, instant messaging, or voice chat as well.
7. Accommodate and validate autistic sensory needs, such as muting my microphone on zoom when not speaking.
8. Not assume that I don't already interact with an autistic person on a daily basis.
9. Acknowledge that many autistic and neurodivergent people in general are undiagnosed or do not disclose due to stigma/being misunderstood.
10. Acknowledge that many autistic people have been unsupported at home, school, and various work environments.
11. Acknowledge that I will make mistakes, even if well-intentioned, but will learn from them and listen to autistic people for further guidance on how to help.
12. Include autistic people in all levels of media, training, and activism surrounding autism training, media, and events.