Shevaun Etier: Autism is not the end of possibility. It's the beginning of a different path

For 24 years, I have worked at Town & Country School, where our mission is to educate students with learning disabilities, ADHD and autism.

Over those years, I have had the privilege of learning from hundreds of students and families, and I can say without hesitation that people with autism bring immense value to our world.

Their stories are not about tragedy or limitation, but about resilience, brilliance, and joy.

Too often, conversations about autism are dominated by fear, blame, or speculation about what “causes” it.

Those conversations miss the bigger picture — that autism is part of the rich diversity of the human experience. At Town & Country, we see daily the talents, passions, and perspectives of students on the spectrum. We don’t see autism as something to be explained away.