Autism Understanding Not Awareness: Let's Make April "Autism Acceptance Month" by Renee

Special Needs
2 years ago

Autism Understanding Not Awareness: Let's Make April "Autism Acceptance Month"

When a person thinks of a National Awareness Month, usually a specific color, symbol and organization comes to mind. As a special education teacher, I always believed I was well versed in all things “special.” 

Last year I began a journey of learning more about autism for reasons that had nothing to do with my profession. As I researched, I quickly learned that I knew very little. Here are five things that I discovered and hope you will consider when deciding how to support the autistic community:

  • Many autistic people do not look forward to the month of April.
  • Many autistic communities do not support the big name organization that promotes "awareness" by using a specific color, ribbon and symbol.
  • Most autistic people prefer identity-first language. This means they prefer to be called “autistics,” “aspie” or “autistic people" as opposed to “person with autism.” But, every individual’s preference should be respected. [img]
  • There are blogs, websites, organizations and informational resources out there produced and managed by autistics. Seek these websites out, like LearnFromAutistics.com.

Looking for more information? Check out this great list of resources from Chris Bonello at AutisticWeird.com

The content on 30Seconds.com is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered medical advice. The information on this site should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease, and is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult your personal healthcare provider. The opinions or views expressed on 30Seconds.com do not necessarily represent those of 30Seconds or any of its employees, corporate partners or affiliates.

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Tribe
So helpful, thank you.
Elisa Schmitz
Wonderful insights, Renee Herren . Thank you for sharing so we all can understand better!

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