The autism world is full of vocabulary that seeks to break autistic people into groups: high and low functioning; high and low support needs; levels 1, 2, and 3; mild/moderate and severe/profound. From politicians dividing autistic people into those who can pay taxes and those who can’t, to parents of nonspeaking children decrying verbal advocates for ignoring the other end of the spectrum, this language further divides the community rather than unifying it behind the common goal of improved accessibility and accommodation for all. This presentation addresses how we talk about “the spectrum” and pushes towards a unified understanding of how autistic people all around the spectrum are ultimately more alike than not, as well as understanding the roles communication and self-advocacy play in perception.