50 Inspirational Quotes About Autism

Living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or being the parent of an autistic child certainly comes with its own set of challenges. However, many autistic individuals went on to achieve great things in life.

We have put together this list of 50 Inspirational Quotes About Autism in order to remind you of the value and importance that an autistic child brings to the world.

50 Inspirational Quotes About Autism

1. “If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.” – Dr. Stephen Shore, special education professor at Adelphi University

2. “Autism can’t define me, I define autism.” – Dr. Kerry Magro, national speaker

3. “I might hit developmental and societal milestones in a different order than my peers, but I am able to accomplish these small victories on my own time.” – Haley Moss, attorney and Autism Spectrum Award Winner 2019

4. “Everyone has a mountain to climb and autism has not been my mountain, it has been my opportunity for victory.” – Rachel Barcellona, pageant professional and Autism Spectrum Award Winner 2017

5. “I used to think, when I was first diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome – a form of autism, about what I can’t do, rather than what I can do, which was a mistake in thinking.” Merrick Egber, administrative assistant at Els for Autism Foundation

6. “When people pursue their interests, especially those that are on the autism spectrum, they have a better chance at succeeding in life.” – Adam Jones, barn attendant at Madison Fields, part of the Madison House Autism Foundation, and Autism Spectrum Award Winner 2018

7. “There are enough people in the world who are going to write you off. You don’t need to do that to yourself.” – Susan Boyle, singer

8. “We need to have kindness in this world, we need to have peace in this world, and we need to have forgiveness in this world.” – Mike DiMauro, UberEats driver

9. “Life is too short to stress the small things anymore.” – Daryl Hannah, actress

10. ” When I was diagnosed, it just gave me permission to be kinder to myself, to not always take responsibility for being a bit clumsy around other people, and allow me to start to tell people, “I’m clumsy, but I [don’t] mean to be.” And being more open about, “I need you to tell me what I did wrong, and then we can move on from there.”” – Hannah Gadsby, comedian

11. “It was only when my son was diagnosed as autistic that everything finally made sense: my unconventional lifestyle and career path, my sequential interests which are unusual in their variety and intensity, my sensory preferences and my absolute need for solitude. Finally, understanding that my experience of the world is different from that of non-autistic people allows me to understand my needs and ensure they are met, and at this point I love being autistic and no longer struggle with mental health issues.” – Dr. Mary Doherty, consultant and anaesthetist at Our Ladies’ Hospital

12. “Autism makes you listen louder. It makes you pay attention on an emotional level as well as an intellectual level.” – Jace King, actor

13. “Autism doesn’t have to define a person. Artists with autism are like anyone else: They define themselves through hard work and individuality.” – Adrienne Bailon

14. “I see people with Asperger’s syndrome as a bright thread in the rich tapestry of life.” – Tony Attwood, psychologist

15. “By separating the autism from the person, are we encouraging our patients’ family members to love an imagined non-autistic child that was never born, forgetting about the real person who exists in front of us.” – Christina Nicolaidis, doctor

16. “The most interesting people you’ll find are ones that don’t fit into your average cardboard box. They’ll make what they need, they’ll make their own boxes.” – Dr. Temple Grandin, autistic professor

17. “If I could snap my fingers and be non autistic, I would not. Autism is part of what I am.” – Dr. Temple Grandin

18. “To measure the success of our societies, we should examine how well those with different abilities, including persons with autism, are integrated as full and valued members.” – Ban Ki-Moon, United Nations secretary general

19. “When enough people care about autism or diabetes or global warming, it helps everyone, even if only a tiny fraction actively participate.” – Seth Godin, author

20. “Don’t think that there’s a different, better child ‘hiding’ behind the autism. This is your child. Love the child in front of you. Encourage his strengths, celebrate his quirks, and improve his weaknesses, the way you would with any child.” – Claire Scovell LaZebnik, author

21. “I wouldn’t be where I am today if I were neurotypical because I would have been interested in social things. Having a little autism helped me achieve my goals and not miss what most people thought I was missing out on.” – Evan Delaney Rodgers, autistic politician

22. “On World Autism Awareness Day we speak out against discrimination, celebrate the diversity of our global community, and strengthen our commitment to inclusion for people with autism.” – Antonia Guterres, United Nations secretary general

23. “No, autism is not a ‘gift’. For most, it is an endless fight against schools, workplaces and bullies. But, under the right circumstances, given the right adjustments, it can be a superpower.” – Greta Thunberg, activist

24. “I want to send love to all the beautiful children with autism and all the wonderful people who love them. May we all shine and grant love and learn to respect children with special needs.” – Kelly Preston, actress

25. “If you’re always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” – Maya Angelou, poet

26. “If a child cannot learn in the way we teach, we must teach in the way the child can learn.” – Dr. O. Ivar Lovaas, founder of the Lovaas Center

27. “Autism is part of my child, it’s not everything he is. My child is so much more than a diagnosis.” – S.L. Coelho, author

28. “If you totally got rid of autism, you’d have nobody to fix your computer in the future.” – Dr. Temple Grandin

29. “It seems that for success in science or art, a dash of autism is essential.” – Hans Asperger, a physician that Asperger syndrome is named after

30. “When staying positive is most difficult is when it’s most imperative.” – Stuart Duncan, founder of a Minecraft server for autistic persons, author, and father

31. “One of the hardest things for a person with autism to do is believe in themselves. But autistics have every right to be as proud as anyone.” – Stuart Duncan

32. “Never ask for someone’s thoughts on autism unless you are prepared to hear a story that doesn’t resemble your own.” – Stuart Duncan

33. “If you can’t see the gift in having a child with autism, you’re focusing too much on the autism and not enough on the child.” – Stuart Duncan

34. “You can’t punish a child who is acting out because of sensory overload.” – Temple Grandin

35. “My autism makes things shine. Sometimes I think it is amazing but sometimes it is sad when I want to be the same and talk the same and I fail. Playing the piano makes me very happy. Playing Beethoven is like your feelings, all of them, exploding” – Mikey Allcock, an autistic person who was born non-verbal up until becoming 10 years 0ld

36. “I know of nobody who is purely autistic or purely neurotypical. Even God had some autistic moments, which is why the planets all spin” – Jerry Newport, author

37. “As an autistic I can readily see environmental phenomena of sun particles interacting with moisture in the air and rising up from the ground. I thought of these things I could see as sun sparkles and world tails.” – Judy Endow, author

38. “We need to embrace those who are different and the bullies need to be the ones who get off the bus.” – Caren Zucker, author

39. “Art can permeate the very deepest part of us, where no words exist.” – Eileen Miller, author

40. “As soon as a child is capable of understanding, they will know they are different. Just as a diabetic needs insulin, an autistic child needs accommodations … The label gave me knowledge and self-awareness” – Steve Andrews, founder and CEO of Platinum Bay Technologies

41. “I believe everyone on the planet has their thing and, especially in my experience, autistic people all have a tremendous gift. It’s a matter of finding that gift and nurturing it.” – Edie Brannigan, mother of the autistic runner Mikey Brannigan

42. “Presume intelligence with all children with autism. Presume all of them are hearing you.” – Lori Shayew, founder of the Gifts of Autism

43. “Autism is not the end of the world, just the beginning of a new one.” – Sally Meyer, poet and writer

44. “I look at autism like a bus accident, and you don’t become cured from a bus accident, but you can recover.” – Jenny McCarthy

45. “Autism is an extremely variable disorder.” – Temple Grandin

46. “Sometimes all a parent needs is to know the impossible is actually possible. Hope goes a long way when it comes to Autism.” – Liz Becker, author

47. “Think of it: disability is usually defined in terms of what is missing…But autism…is as much about what is abundant as what is missing, an over-expression of the very traits that make our species unique.” – Paul Collins, author

48. “Nobel prize-calibre geniuses often have certain core autistic features at their heart.” – Allan Snyder, scientist

49. “I hear things more loudly, I see things more clearly, I smell things more strongly, I feel things you don’t, I taste things differently, I have autism.” – Unknown

50. “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” – Albert Einstein