The photo on the left captures the requirement that Autistic people feel to confirm to society by wearing a 'mask' and appear neurotypical. The photo on the right shows them in the place and situation in which they feel the most joy. 

Autism is a condition that affects over 700,000 adults and children in the UK. In an outcast-creating society, autistic people are forced to wear a metaphorical mask in order to fit in. This is exhausting and damaging. 

Whilst society tends to only see the negatives of autism, I want to focus on the positives. Autistic people find little pieces of joy in everything we do. We are honest and have amazing attention to detail. We pursue the things that bring us happiness and comfort, and treasure those close to us. We are creative and have unique pattern recognition and problem solving abilities. We will not let society continue to misunderstand the autistic community: we are brilliant.