What was with hashtag #WAAM this year?

This time around I decided to dissect the acronym and hashtag used to identify April.

World Autism A____ Month.   I’m SO done with Awareness and/or Acceptance.

W:   Forget the “World”; I’d settle for school, community, church, transit, workplace, ____ inclusion.

The Two A’s   I accept my Autism.  Society needs to Appreciate autistics advocating.  The second A could also stand for Assumption of Competence.

M   instead of “Month”, more like Moment by Moment, or perhaps Movement.

We need to take charge of the conversation about us.  #FlipTheNarrative, make an #AutisticCultureShift, as Jon Adams terms it.

So here are a few acronyms using the current lettering, and a totally new idea.

WHAT WE HAVE NOW:

Weird Autistics Articulation Month

We Autistics Are Masking

Worldwide Autistics Are Marginalized

#WAAM   A load of medical papers drops on my desk—Duh research

#WAAM   Another door of an employer or friend slams in my face

#WAAM   Someone attacks an autistic person for not being “like their child”

#WAAM   I hurt so badly for those under attack, yet am not supposed to (be able to) feel empathy

#WAAM   It is only the second week of A(t)Warness—the A month in my region should be full of spring showers—now it leads to old memories and new nightmares.  Autism Bewareness is one description I’read.

#WAAM bam, no thank-you, man (apologies to David Bowie!)

HOW TO REWRITE #WAAM:

We Appreciate Autistics Movement OR Worldwide Autistics Avoid Marginalization

Finally, how about a completely fresh take:  SAJE  

Society for Autistics on a Journey to Engagement

Senior autistics are sages, graduates of the school of hard knocks before diagnoses were available.  Our lived experience should be acknowledged and welcomed.