Presuming Competence Day

A day within Autism Acceptance Month dedicated to the principle of presuming competence — assuming that every autistic person, regardless of communication or support needs, has the capacity to learn, communicate, and grow.

History

The principle of presuming competence was articulated by educator Anne Donnellan and championed by the disability rights movement. It has become central to modern autism support philosophy, replacing outdated assumptions based on IQ scores and speech ability.

How to Participate

• →Learn what 'presume competence' means in practice — how does it change your interactions?
• →Examine your assumptions about nonspeaking or minimally speaking autistic people
• →Advocate for communication access at every level — every autistic person deserves a way to communicate
• →Challenge the use of functioning labels that presume incompetence
• →Read or watch content by nonspeaking autistic people who are communicating in remarkable ways

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