10/01/2026
Two people with the same diagnosis—or even similar support needs—can have completely different strengths, challenges, interests, opportunities, and outcomes. A diagnosis can help identify support needs, but it should never automatically predict someone’s potential or future.
Look at autistic people recognized by ABA World in 2026: Kanyeyachukwu Tagbo-Okeke is a non-speaking autistic teenager, artist, cyclist, and Guinness World Record holder. Hoang Tien Nguyen is an autistic musician and artist. Others are contributing through technology, graphic design, administration, advocacy, academics, and more.
So what exactly is the “magic functioning level” that determines who can accomplish extraordinary things and who supposedly cannot?
Maybe the better question is: Are we measuring people’s limitations—or limiting them with our expectations?
