Meghan Ashburn

“The enemy is not the blunt adult perseverating on applied behavioral analysis (ABA) research, the enemy is not the parent wearing a puzzle piece t-shirt (but please don’t), the enemy is the system that makes it so exhausting for families to get in-home supports, it is the bias that creates inequity in IEPs, it is the administrative burden that makes county services or social security a multi-year battle. If we fight these systems from the perspective of the community as a whole then we can create a better outcome for everyone. So it’s time—I challenge everyone reading this, both parents and advocates, to put down our swords and hold ourselves accountable for what has happened in the past, but also move forward with forgiveness and humbleness. There is no shame in realizing that you were previously speaking from a less informed place, there is no shame in accepting that we have room to learn and grow still.”
― Meghan Ashburn, I Will Die On This Hill: Autistic Adults, Autism Parents, and the Children Who Deserve a Better World

“Autism is not a behavioral diagnosis. Autism is a neurodevelopmental diagnosis. Behaviorist practices focus solely on changing outward behaviors.”
― Meghan Ashburn, I Will Die On This Hill: Autistic Adults, Autism Parents, and the Children Who Deserve a Better World