World Autism Day is dedicated to raising awareness about autism and celebrating the unique individuals who have it. Asperger’s Syndrome, now called Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), affects millions worldwide.
While each individual’s experience with ASD is different, many commonalities unite them. Quotes from people with ASD can provide insight into their experiences and help us better understand this complex condition.
In honor of World Autism Day, we’ve compiled some of the most inspiring quotes from those on the spectrum that showcase their strengths, challenges, and perspectives on life. Join us in celebrating these unique voices!
Aspergers and Autism quotes in honor of World Autism Day.
1. “Nobel prize-caliber geniuses often have certain core autistic features at their heart.” – Allan Snyder
2. “The difference between high-functioning and low-functioning is that high-functioning means your deficits are ignored, and low- functioning means your assets are ignored.” – Laura Tisoncik
3. “Patience. Patience. Patience. Work to view my autism as a different ability rather than a disability. Look past what you may see as limitations and see the gifts autism has given me. It may be true that I’m not good at eye contact or conversation, but have you noticed that I don’t lie, cheat at games, tattle on my classmates, or pass judgment on other people? Also true that I probably won’t be the next Michael Jordan. But with my attention to fine detail and capacity for extraordinary focus, I might be the next Einstein. Or Mozart. Or Van Gogh.” – Ellen Notbohm
4. “Years before doctors informed me of my high-functioning autism and the disconnect it causes between person and language, I had to figure out the world as best I could. I was a misfit. The world was made up of words. But I thought and felt and sometimes dreamed in a private language of numbers.” – Daniel Tammet
5. “Some people with autism may not be able to speak or answer to their name, but they can still hear your words and feel your kindness.” – Unknown
6. “There needs to be a lot more emphasis on what a child CAN DO instead of what he can not do.” – Dr. Temple Grandin
7. “Children with autism are colorful – they are often very beautiful and, like the rainbow, they stand out.”― Adele Devine
8. “Why should I cry for not being an apple, when I was born an orange, I’d be crying for an illusion, I may as well cry for not being a horse.” – Donna Williams
9. “Autism can’t define me. I define autism.” – Kerry Magro
10. “We cry, we scream, we hit out and break things. But still, we don’t want you to give up on us. Please, keep battling alongside us.” – Naoki Higashida
Autism and Asperger’s quotes about life and love
11. “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
12. “If they can’t learn the way we teach, we teach the way they learn.” – O. Ivar Lovaas
13. “When a family focuses on ability instead of the disability, all things are possible…Love and acceptance is key. We need to interact with those with autism by taking an interest in their interests.” – Amanda Rae Ross
14. “There is nothing to be ashamed of. Every child is a blessing.”
15. “Autism is part of my child, it’s not everything he is. My child is so much more than a diagnosis.” – S.L. Coelho
16. “Kids need to be encouraged to stretch their shine!” – Amanda Friedman
17. “Someone with #Autism has taught me love needs no words.”
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
19. “I always find it kind of funny that normal people are always saying autistic children ‘live in their own little world.’ When you work with animals for a while, you realize you can say the same thing about normal people. There’s a great big, beautiful world out there that many normal folks are barely taking in. Autistic people and animals are seeing a whole register of the visual world normal people can’t, or don’t.” – Dr. Temple Grandin
20. “I am different. Not less.”
– Dr. Temple Grandin
Autism quotes that will change the way you think
21. “When enough people care about autism or diabetes or global warming, it helps everyone, even if only a tiny fraction actively participate.”
– Seth Godin
22. “It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a child with autism to raise the consciousness of that village.” – Elaine Hall
23. “I’ve learned that every human being, with or without disabilities, needs to strive to do their best, and by striving for happiness you will arrive at happiness. For us, you see, having autism is normal—so we can’t know for sure what your ‘normal’ is even like. But so long as we can learn to love ourselves, I’m not sure how much it matters whether we’re normal or autistic.” – Naoki Higashida
24. “There’s a saying within the Asperger community: if you’ve met one person with Asperger’s syndrome, you’ve met one person with Asperger’s syndrome… Within this condition, beneath this label, the variety of personality, of humor, of behavior, is infinite.” – Hugh Dancy
25. “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
26. “Children with autism develop all kinds of enthusiasms… perhaps focusing on one topic gives the child a sense of control, of predictability and security in a world that can be unpredictable and feel scary.” – Barry M. Prizant
27. “Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.” – Frank Zappa
28. “Autism… offers a chance for us to glimpse an awe-filled vision of the world that might otherwise pass us by.”- Dr. Colin Zimbleman
29. “Autism makes you listen louder. It makes you pay attention to an emotional level as well as an intellectual level.”- Jace King
30. “Your child with autism has unlimited potential, just like everyone else.” – Dr. Temple Grandin
Autism quotes to bring awareness.
31. “We need to learn to accept and celebrate our differences. And we need to continue our research in Autism Spectrum Disorder to understand how we can best lend a helping hand.” – Alan Rosales
32. “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” — Dr. Seuss
33. “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
34. “His autism isn’t contagious but his smile is.” – Anonymous Autism Parent
35. “English is my 2nd language. Autism is my first.” – Dani Bowman
36. “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.” – Antonio Guterres, United Nations
37. “We contain the shapes of trees and the movement of rivers and stars within us.” – Patrick Jasper Lee
38. “What would happen if the autism gene was eliminated from the gene pool? You would have a bunch of people standing around in a cave, chatting and socializing and not getting anything done.” – Dr. Temple Grandin
39. “Autism is like a rainbow. It has a bright side and a darker side. But every shade is important and beautiful.” – Rosie Tennant Doran
40. “Autism is a mental developmental disorder and its something that makes it very difficult for people to communicate and form relationships’… don’t you think it’s time we came up with a new definition?” – Kevin Chapman, YouTuber
41. “I look at autism like a bus accident, and you don’t become cured from a bus accident, but you can recover.” — Jenny McCarthy
42. “On World autism awareness Day there is a global recognition not only of autism but also the immense potential of persons with autism.” – Imran Khan, Pakistan Prime Minister
43. “It seems that for success in science and art, a dash of autism is essential.” — Hans Asperger