HAMPDEN COUNTY, Mass. - Springfield College is actively spreading autism awareness on its campus this month. 

Earlier this week, the campus hosted a public discussion panel where four individuals on the autism spectrum spoke about their experiences and educate people on how to better support the community.

The event’s moderator Ruth Poirier, credits Springfield College graduate student Molly McCarthy, who is autistic, with organizing the discussion.

Poirier said many people know about autism, but may not fully understand how to have the conversation and speaking about autism spectrum disorder in the community is important.

Poirier, the division supervisor and project search coordinator for New England Business Associates at the college, said, “Everyone’s aware of autism, but more of having the community come together and have these conversations so that these individuals are understood better and accepted for who they are, not be asked to change who they are.”

“We are still an underrepresented community in conversations regarding intersectionality, conversations surrounding gender, race, and sexuality need to be more prevalent,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy added the conversation being had around autism needs more inclusion from those on the autism spectrum and more push for accessibility and ableism.

"No autistic person is the same. We have our different opinions. We are all individual people,” McCarthy said. “Just because we belong to one community doesn’t mean we follow every single thing in that community.”

McCarthy said it’s important for people to listen to those on the spectrum and to encourage people to not only ask questions but to take initiative and do their own research as well.