Advocating for Autism... what should I say?

[Guest guest]

After a few years of collaborating and networking with " the right

people " , I find myself living my dream.. I am now in a position to

make a positive influence on the way people view individuals on the

Autistic Spectrum.

I facilitate a support group that is intended for parents of children

on the spectrum and have also been invited by the YMCA to speak to

afterschool programs about Autism. So far, I've only had one support

group and spoken with one group of students with the YMCA. I have

done a great job of educating people about differences that Autistic

individuals have and explaining some of the behaviors that we

display. I always talk about Autism in a positive light and play

Polyanna when a person starts to become negative (in the movie

Polyanna, the title character plays " The Glad Game " and finds

something to be glad about in every situation).

My question to everyone here is, what should I be sure to tell people

while I have the opportunity to educate them about the Spectrum. If

you were in my situation what would you make sure that everyone

knew? Aside from the " acceptance not cure " stance that I have taken,

is there any other approach/view that I should consider? I'm worried

that I might " miss the forest for the trees " and lose an opportunity

to make a positive change in someones opinion about Autism.