Specifically, what I see in my community outreach work is that there are still stigmas and barriers to diagnosis and care in the Black autism community. The latest CDC autism prevalence update supports this with their studies showing that only more severe forms of ASD are being identified among Black children compared to White children. But I am proud that in this newsletter you will read from my esteemed colleague, Alyssa Brockington, Director of Public Policy on our Advocacy team, about her work serving underserved communities and how, since joining Autism Speaks in July, she is putting her passion towards pushing for the Autism Family Caregivers Act. Her goal is health equity for fellow members of the Black community and other historically marginalized communities.
What I see within Autism Speaks is an organization that established a Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion Committee, on which I sit, and an employee resource group, Voices of Diversity, which I chair, to ensure representation and inclusivity in all we do and to help build sustainable support structures that naturally promote belonging. One goal of both initiatives is to help increase our community’s knowledge of lived experiences of those in the Black community. I am proud you will read in in this newsletter the story of Ashley, a Black self-advocate diagnosed later in life because as she says, “back then, autism was looked at as a white male-only disability, not a Black female disability.” I am also happy that you will read how Dr. Brian Boyd, member of the Autism Speaks Medical and Science Advisory Committee, is working in partnership with The Color of Autism Foundation to better understand the experiences of Black families.
My work is not done. Autism Speaks work is not done. Our country’s work is not done. But I am grateful to work for an organization that at its core recognizes this, believes in resisting the status quo and is a force for good in helping all marginalized communities attain full equality. I think you will see that reflected in the lived experiences our Black autism community members shared in this newsletter.
– Janet Jones-Jordan, Autism Speaks
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