Quotes from Famous Autistic People Everyone Should Hear

Authentic representation is so valuable for Autistic people and their loved ones. Autistic representation celebrates the diversity in Autistic individuals and reflects their unique experiences, creates awareness about Autism, and provides a relatable perspective for Autistic people trying to understand their own health journey.

We’ve curated some insightful and thought-provoking quotes from prominent Autistic figures for you. You might like to share these with others you think might find them interesting!

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A quote from Anne Hegerty which reads "I don't battle with Autism – which is simply my personality – but I battle with people who don't consider what accommodations I need."

Anne Hegerty is an English professional quizzer and television personality, known for her appearance as The Governess on the quiz show The Chaser. She was diagnosed later in life, and has admitted that she finds day-to-day activities “quite difficult” because of her condition, but expressed she feels most confident on the game show.

A quote from Mel Baggs, which reads "I view 'Autistic' as a word for a part of how my brain works, not for a narrow set of behaviors and certainly not for a set of boundaries of a stereotype that I have to stay inside."

Mel Baggs was an avid blogger and advocate for the Autistic community. They were non-verbal, and shared their own method of communication with the world in a short film titled ‘In My Language’. They believed in the powerful notion “that all people are valuable”, and their work on promoting self-advocacy placed them at the forefront of the neurodiversity acceptance movement.

A quote from Naoki Higashida, which reads "Like everyone else, we want to do the best we possibly can. When we sense you've given up on us, it makes us feel miserable. So please keep helping us, through to the end."s

Naoki Higashida is an Autistic author. His book The Reason I Jump describes his experience as a non-verbal young person with Autism, and has been translated into 30 languages, as well as adapted into a documentary. He hopes for an "understanding world" that will "not pity you for being Autistic".

A quote from Chloe Hayden, which reads "Our identities make us who we are, and all aspects of our identities are important, including (maybe even specifically) our disabilities."

Chloé Hayden is an award-winning actress, recently starring in the smash-hit Heartbreak High. With her messages of ‘Different, Not Less’ and ‘Find Your Eye Sparkle’, Chloé is fighting for a better future for those whose voices have been silenced for too long.

A quote from Grace Tame, which reads "I've found that neurodivergent people are some of the most empathetic, some of the most fascinating, some of the most educative, brilliant people I've ever met and connected with."

Grace Tame was named Australian of the Year in 2021. She has used her voice to raise awareness about the impacts of abuse, and to empower other survivors to speak up. In her 2022 memoir, she referred to herself as “the Autistic artist who finds everyday socialising harder than calculus, but walking onto a stage as easy as kindergarten maths”.

A quote from Dr Temple Grandin which reads "People on the Autism spectrum don't think the same way you do. In my life, people who made a difference were those who didn't see labels, who believed in building on what was there. These were people who didn't try to drag me into their world, but came into mine instead."

Dr Temple Grandin is an Autistic academic. Her awareness of how hypersensitivity to sound and touch affected her as an Autistic person led her to devote her life to designing systems to alleviate the anxiety caused by these triggers in both Autistic children and in animals. She has authored several books about the Autistic experience and continues to speak publicly about her life and work.

A quote from Josh Thomas, which reads "This label is so broad that you can talk to an Autistic person and say that you're Autistic, but your experience of Autism is going to be so different from their experience of Autism."

Comedian Josh Thomas was diagnosed with Autism after writing and starring in the hit TV show Everything’s Gonna Be Okay. On why he thinks he was initially drawn to standup as someone on the spectrum, Josh expressed that he “can be better understood that way than in on-the-fly social interaction.”

A quote from Mickey Rowe, which reads "Truly, your differences are your strengths. Often, young disabled people can be taught by society that they are a burden... The things that make you different are so valuable. You are giving the world such a huge gift when you share all of you."

Mickey Rowe is an Autistic and legally-blind actor, who believes that when we design for accessibility, we help everyone to perform at their best, not just disabled folks. A self-advocate from an early age, Mickey suggests that only when we learn to value each other’s differences can we truly succeed.

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Olivia Holland

Medical Writer