Language Matters: Why Disability Slurs Hurt—and What We Can Do About It

Until we recognize that autistic people and people with disabilities are valuable, capable human beings, we will continue to lose words that were originally meant simply to describe a demographic. Over time, everyday language gets twisted, misused, and weaponized—turning descriptive terms into insults. When that happens, the people connected to those words become targets too. This cycle harms more than vocabulary. It harms people. When Words Become Weapons Many disability-related terms began as neutral descriptions. But because our society has read more

Autism-Friendly Halloween

Tricks for Autism-Friendly Halloween Treats “My son is 3 years old and has autism,” Omairis Taylor wrote on a Facebook post that went viral, adding, “Please allow him (or anyone with a BLUE BUCKET) to enjoy this day.” In the post, Taylor explained that adults handing out candy the previous year would wait for her son to say “trick or treat” before giving him candy, requiring her to explain to each of them that he is non-speaking. Rather than deal read more

Autism Safety Expo 2025

PRESS RELEASE: THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2025 Autism Connection of Pennsylvania Presents Inaugural Safety Expo in Concert with the Jefferson Center for Autism and Neurodiversity Monroeville, PA: Autism Connection of Pennsylvania, in concert with the Jefferson Center for Autism and Neurodiversity in Philadelphia, is proud to announce its first-ever Autism Safety Expo; a comprehensive two-day event devoted to promoting safety in the home and the community for people of all ages and stages on the autism spectrum and their families. Autism read more