Meets every first and third Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm
Virtual support group for people diagnosed with autism later in life. This meeting is open to people who believe they are autistic and don’t know where to turn.
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88224805032?pwd=V1SLiIQpYIVHbLi9TzPRhgNOWgFwKD.1
Meets every first and third Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm
Virtual support group for people diagnosed with autism later in life. This meeting is open to people who believe they are autistic and don’t know where to turn.
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88224805032?pwd=V1SLiIQpYIVHbLi9TzPRhgNOWgFwKD.1
Virtual support group meeting for adults diagnosed on the autism spectrum later in life. This meeting is open to people who believe they are autistic, and don’t know where to turn for help. Meets on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 6:30pm.
Join the meeting on December 17th at 6:30pm
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.
Many disability-related terms began as neutral descriptions. But because our society has long underestimated, excluded, or stigmatized people with disabilities, those words often slid into the realm of slurs. We see this most clearly with the R-word—once a clinical descriptor, now a widely recognized insult.
The problem isn’t the word itself.
The problem is how our culture has treated the people behind it.
If a group is not respected, their label becomes a punchline.
If a group is devalued, their identity becomes shorthand for “lesser than.”
Autistic people and families tell us that the impact is anything but harmless.
A parent recently shared with us:
“The slur-hurling is making us (autistic people and their families) feel like we’re ‘lesser than’. We’re not seen as deserving of services or help by the general public if we’re seen as a punchline. Or worse, we’re invisible because everyone is trying to make autism look like it’s less severe than what it is. Language does matter.”
This is the lived experience behind the jokes, memes, and “I didn’t mean it that way” excuses.
Slurs do more than sting. They influence whether someone is seen as deserving of support, empathy, or even basic dignity. They shape how teachers respond, how communities include, how neighbors interact, and how policymakers prioritize services.
When people become jokes, they also become invisible.
There’s a growing cultural tendency to soften or minimize the challenges many autistic people face. While positive stories and strengths-based perspectives are important, they cannot erase the need for support, services, and understanding—especially for those with high support needs.
When autism is treated like a quirky personality trait rather than a legitimate disability, families may encounter disbelief, judgment, or outright dismissal.
And when slurs are used casually, it reinforces the idea that autism, intellectual disability, or developmental differences are inherently negative. Or worse, something to mock.
Changing the way we speak is not about being “overly sensitive” or enforcing “political correctness.” It is about recognizing the full humanity of autistic people and people with disabilities.
Words can:
reinforce stigma
block access to support
shape public attitudes
affect policy decisions
influence how people treat one another
Respectful language creates safer and more inclusive spaces. It signals that people with disabilities are real, valued members of our communities, not punchlines, burdens, or stereotypes.
Everyone plays a role in reducing harm and building a more inclusive culture. Here’s where we can start:
1. Retire disability slurs—including the R-word—completely.
Even “as a joke,” they reinforce harmful beliefs.
2. Speak up when you hear others use them.
A simple “That word hurts people. Could we choose something else?” can make a difference.
3. Learn from disabled voices.
Autistic people and their families are telling us what they need. Listening is the first step.
4. Use language that reflects dignity.
People-first or identity-first language is always better than a slur.
5. Model respect in everyday conversation.
Kids, coworkers, and community members learn from what we say.
Autistic people and families deserve to be seen, heard, and valued. When we change our language, we help change our culture—and we make space for understanding instead of mockery, connection instead of stigma.
Language does matter.
And so do the people behind it.
If you or your family need support, Autism Connection of Pennsylvania is here to help.
Virtual support group for people diagnosed with autism in adulthood. This meeting is on Zoom and it’s open to people who believe they are autistic and don’t know where to turn.
This meeting is held on the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm.
Join Autism Connection of Pennsylvania for a free virtual, interactive workshop for parents and caregivers of children, teens, and adults with profound autism. This session offers a space to share experiences, ask questions, and access practical information. We’ll talk about day-to-day challenges, long-term planning, and ways to support people who are deeply affected by autism. Whether you’re just beginning your journey or have years of experience, you’re welcome to connect and learn with others who understand.
PRESS RELEASE: THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2025
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 Connection of Pennsylvania’s Safety Expo is important because it brings together critical resources that help ensure the well-being of autistic people in nearly every aspect of life, from their homes to schools to public spaces. Many families and self-advocates struggle to navigate complex systems when it comes to legal rights, medical needs, emergency preparedness, and physical and social safety. This Expo offers a rare opportunity to access all of that information in one place, with trusted experts who understand the unique challenges faced by the autism community. By creating a safe, inclusive space for learning and connection, the event empowers individuals and families to proactively build safer, more supportive environments.
Dates & Location
This “one-stop-shop” experience invites families, caregivers, autistic people, professionals, and community members to access vital safety solutions covering:
Autism Connection of Pennsylvania surveyed autistic people, families, and caregivers about their greatest concerns. Safety is the utmost priority for people of all ages living in both rural and urban areas, and with different levels of need. In response, the Autism Connection is organizing this event to connect people with critical resources.
Safety is multidimensional: legal, medical, social, and environmental. By bringing together experts from each domain, the Autism Safety Expo offers resources to autistic people and families to proactively build environments, knowledge, and community systems that support neurodiverse safety.
About Autism Connection of PA
Since 1996, Autism Connection of PA has served as a trusted resource for families and professionals across the state, offering support groups, educational workshops and webinars, advocacy, and information on art, justice, school, and lifelong planning.
About Jefferson Center for Autism and Neurodiversity
A division of Jefferson Health, the Center champions neurodiverse-aware design and clinical practices, highlighted by its sensory-inclusive Honickman Center in Philadelphia’s city center.