ABOUT US: We are passionate parents of autistic children. We come in peace. We advocate night and day for our children’s right to learn, make friends, discover new interests, and enjoy the freedoms of youth. And as well-meaning as diversity and inclusion efforts can be, it’s clear we have a long way to go.

In February 2024—between the midwinter breaks, full-time jobs, therapies, and IEPs—we tried registering our children in extracurriculars: over 200 activities run by the local school district in partnership with area businesses. How many were for the autistic community? Zero. We asked about 1:1 aides, modified schedules, and adaptive supports. Once again, the answer was sorry, unfortunately, no. We reached out to parents, teachers, parapros, and the community at large to have honest conversations about the barriers to autism equity and inclusion. We called on disability and autism organizations, advocates, libraries, and scientific research—then curated everything into a report in less than 30 days. Now we are spreading the word.

#itcantbezero is a platform to ignite peaceful conversation between parents and stakeholders, and invest in the future of autism inclusion. Let’s talk about how you can launch #itcantbezero in your community.