Social Media is a powerful tool in the way it allows us to connect with friends and family, celebrities, and strangers with common interests from around the globe. Different social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok hold communities of people who connect over similar experiences and journeys. Influencers are popular social media personalities who have a large following. Whether you’re a parent of an autistic child, an educator or therapist, or are autistic yourself, here is a list of influencers to follow, connect with, and learn more about their experiences with autism.
First-person accounts are important in understanding the lived experiences of autistic individuals. Is your child looking to connect with others who share similar experiences? Here is a list of 10 influencers diagnosed with autism to check out.
The hashtag #ActuallyAutistic was made by autistic creators and influencers. A simple search of this tag will turn up a collection of pictures, art, music, writing, and more created by people who are #ActuallyAutistic.
Chris Bonnello is an international speaker, special education tutor, and author. He was not diagnosed as autistic until he was 25 years old. When he did, Chris was inspired to publish his first book, “What We Love Most About Life,” a collection of responses from 150 autistic kids. He went on to publish “Underdogs,” a series about autistic war heroes. You can follow Chris Bonnello’s adventures and tips for working with autistic children on his blog, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube at @autisticnotweird and Twitter at @autisticNW.
Joy Johnson is a Behavior Analyst, Inclusion Specialist, Autism Advocate, and PhD student. Autistic herself, Joy explores current autism research and advocates for autistic voices to be heard in research through her blog (joyfjohnson.com) and Instagram (@joyfjohnson). Follow Joy as she discusses behavior management techniques, inclusion practices, and how to become the best advocate possible.
At only 21 years old, Jeremiah Josey is a baker, model, author, and inspirational speaker. Jeremiah’s passion is being a pastry chef, and he captures his cooking creations on his YouTube show, “Jeremiah's Cooking Adventures.” He also wrote a book titled, “Here’s What I Want You to Know” about his personal experiences of being autistic. An advocate for autistic people and inspirational speaker, Jerimiah also modeled for Kohl’s adaptive clothing line. You can follow Jerimiah’s sweet adventures on Instagram or YouTube @jercookingadventure.
Leeanne Libas is a disability rights advocate and blogger for The Art of Autism (the-art-of-autism.com). She’s a college student and makeup guru, and blogs about topics such as ableism, leadership, and her experiences as an autistic person. You can follow her positive, encouraging stories on Instagram @callmemisslibas or check out her posts at https://the-art-of-autism.com/tag/leanne-libas/.
Taylor Linloff is a 25-year-old blogger from Nova Scotia. Her passion project, “Aspirational Autistic,” explores her experiences as an autistic individual and debunks popular autism myths and misconceptions. You can follow Taylor’s stories and engage with her discussion posts on her blog aspirationalautistic.wordpress.com or Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @aspirationalautistic.
Paige found popularity on TikTok where she posted videos about being an eyelash technician, being autistic, and misconceptions about what autism “looks like.” Paige wasn’t diagnosed until she was a teenager and often discusses late diagnoses of autism in girls and misconceptions about autistic girls. If you’re interested in talking all things autism and beauty, you can follow Layle on TikTok and Instagram @paigelayle.
Emily is a graphic designer and illustrator and is autistic. She uses her background in art to create infographics, memes, and illustrations for autistic people. Her doodles “discuss daily life as a sensory being” and she creates survival guides for autistic people dealing with holidays, mental health, coping strategies, and her favorite fidget products. You can follow Emily’s fun, informational art on Instagram @21andsensory.
James is the creator of the Autistic & Unapologetic blog where he documents his journey to find out what makes him (autis)tic. James documents the Top 5 Pieces of Autism News around the world each month, explores portrayals of autism in popular media, and includes personal reflections and offers advice to family members of autistic individuals. You can read James’ posts at autisticandunapologetic.com, check out his Autistic & Unapologetic Facebook page, or follow him on Twitter @AutismRevised.
Jamie Knight works for the BBC as a senior accessibility specialist. His blog, “Spaced Out and Smiling” explores “the fun side of Autism, and trying to understand what it means to be Autistically Happy.” Jamie recently transitioned to living independently and documents his experience doing so. On his blog, you can follow his Reviews, Techniques, and Writing, where he shares his favorite places to visit, independently managing a house, and his “Nerdy” tech favorites. You can follow Jamie’s blog at spacedoutandsmiling.com or on Twitter @spacedoutsmiles.
Eileen Lamb, founder of the Autism Cafe, is not only a mother to an autistic child but is diagnosed as autistic herself. She is a published author, photographer, and autism advocate. Her artistic photographs capture the essence of family, love, and acceptance. Her thought-provoking blog posts aim to decrease the stigma around autism. Eileen and her family can be followed on their blog, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube @theautismcafe.
James is the father to two young, non-verbal autistic boys. He never knew much about autism until his oldest son was diagnosed at nine months old. Since then, James has been on a mission to learn about autism and connect with others “to help me become the best parent I can be.” He often interviews other people who are part of the autism community and creates an informational and hopeful virtual world. James and his sons can be followed on storiesaboutautism.com or Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @storiesaboutautism.
Kate is a mom to three boys. Her oldest, Cooper, is autistic, and is described as a “train-loving, joyful, nonverbal, amazing little boy.” Kate created a blog as a means for parents, teachers, therapists, grandparents, and caregivers “to find support, encouragement, and a safe space to vent.” Her posts explore the real, the funny, and the creative aspects of parenting a child with special needs. Cooper and his family can be followed on their blog (findingcoopersvoice.com), Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Rob Gorski is The Autism Dad. A single father to three autistic boys, Rob invites his followers to connect with his real-life stories of navigating autism, and physical and emotional health issues. Rob’s blog is emotional, honest, and transparent. His goal is to show other families that they are not alone. The Autism Dad can be followed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube @theautismdad.
Alicia is a mom of three autistic children. Her blog (themomkind.com) documents personal accounts of parenting children on the spectrum and offers a collection of resources on parenting, learning about autism, and additional special needs (ADHD, anxiety, sleep disorders, etc.). The Mom Kind, “Autism Parenting for the Modern Parent,” can be followed on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram @themomkind.
Follow the Maass family in their everyday routines, travels, and fun. Asa Maass is the father of Abbie, an autistic teen. Asa’s goal through his family-friendly video blogs, or “vlogs,” is to “increase awareness, acceptance, and make the world a softer place to land for our daughter and autistic people like her.” The Maass family creates content that is both entertaining and informational. Follow their adventures on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @fatheringautism1.
Eileen “Mama Fry” Shaklee is “living, loving, and laughing with autism.” Her social media accounts follow the trials and tribulations of parenting an autistic teen, navigating social situations, the dentist, chores, and more. Mama Fry looks at everything with humor and reminds readers that everything is better with a side of fries. Her adventures can be followed at http://autismwithasideoffries.blogspot.com/, on Instagram @autismwithasideoffries, and Twitter @FrenchFryInc.
Ann, author of RainbowsAreTooBeautiful.com, is a mother of three children. She has experience with autism, ADHD, hypermobility, sensory processing disorder, dyspraxia, anxiety, and sleep issues. She is a full-time mother, works part-time in education, and is a charity trustee. The goal of her blog is to “promote understanding, discuss important issues, and provide helpful information and support to those who visit.” Through her adventures with her children, Ann offers reviews, resources, and activities that have worked for her family. Her contact information is available on all of her social media accounts and she looks forward to connecting with other families with autistic children. Check out Ann on her blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @rainbowsaretoobeautiful.
Alli Baldocchi is a mother to three boys, one of whom is autistic. Her blog documents her journey through life as a mother, wife, and career woman. Her stories are heartfelt and explore the balancing act of life. Alli promotes learning through experience and invites other moms and “warriors,” or autistic children, to share what they have learned about autism through their own experiences on her blog.
Miriams’s twins were born after a 10-year-long struggle with infertility and IVF treatments. Her twins are diagnosed as autistic with severe learning difficulties, global developmental delays, pica, and selective mutism. Her blog, faithmummy.wordpress.com, discusses parenting autistic children through a faith-based and hopeful lens. Her stories promote kindness and acceptance. Enjoy following Miriams’s family at faithmummy.wordpress.com.
Finding online resources and connecting with people who share experiences similar to your own is a powerful tool. Being part of an online community is a way to share information, news, and resources, and seek advice. Happy connecting!
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https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/14-actually-autistic-influencers-instagram-153201148.html
https://www.zenaviv.com/blog/2019/3/7/7-autism-influencers-redefining-perception-of-autism
https://studybreaks.com/tvfilm/autistic-influencers/
https://www.assistiveware.com/blog/5-favorite-autistic-bloggers
https://www.actionbehavior.com/top-autism-blogs-2020/
https://bluesprigautism.com/top-10-autism-blogs-of-2020/
https://www.actionbehavior.com/top-40-autism-blogs-2019/