Know All that You Need to About the Latest Changes Made to Autism Awareness Month
You might have heard about April being known as Autism Awareness Month, the time of year when we put all our energy into creating awareness about this learning and developmental disorder. But as of 2021, the official name changed to Autism Acceptance Month, a revision that we all believe was absolutely necessary. The American Autism Society announced this abrupt change in the terminology last year and requested the media to follow through so that the change can be ignited in people who live with ASD.
The Reason for this Shift
The wording was changed from Awareness to Accepting because knowing about the problem isn’t enough. Awareness is simply realizing that a person has autism, but acceptance is the inclusion of the people with it, which is far more beneficial for our societies. It’s the perfect word to encourage people to interact more with individuals with ASD and make strong bonds with them. 1 in every 44 children in the US is diagnosed with autism. It no longer is something that we have the luxury to ignore.
It is our duty to learn as much as we can about this learning disability and understand how we can contribute to their cause. Knowing about ASD will also allow people to notice it at early stages and ensure that the child receives the appropriate treatment before things escalate.
Autism cannot be described in a few words since this word covers a broad spectrum of learning and developmental disabilities that varies from individual to individual. Each person is affected uniquely by ASD and will require unique types of treatments to overcome it. But for understanding, we define autism as a spectrum of conditions that impact the individual’s ability to behave, communicate, interact appropriately and learn and develop their skills. Autism diagnosis has revealed that every 1 in 44 children will have ASD, and more than 2% of adults in the US will be affected by it.
Social and educational programs are necessary to educate people about autism and how to interact with a person with it. They are also required to improve the choices and opportunities presented to people with ASD. These events help raise awareness about how people with this learning disability struggle every day to complete their responsibilities, which helps us better understand them and their unique situation. We believe that by encouraging an inclusive living, social, and working environment, it will be easier for people to accept autism and the people it affects.
Only by living closely together in a community where everyone is welcomed, respected, and accepted can we allow people with ASD to live a life filled with quality and choices.
There are a few things that the American Autism Society has pointed out which need to be changed to facilitate people with autism better and bring about a positive change. They encourage young adults diagnosed with autism to have a trained experience with police officers so that both parties can learn the proper way to deal with things in an emergency. About 70% of adults with ASD are currently underemployed or unemployed. The business market in America is facing labor shortages and can most certainly benefit by changing its policies and introducing new inclusive hiring practices. You will be surprised to see the value, skill, and talent people with autism can bring to the table.
A Little Autism Awareness History
The day elected as the official Autism Awareness Day was April 2nd, 2008, with collective declarations from the US General Assembly. The goal has always been to introduce improvements for children and adults with autism so that they can lead better lives. The campaign initially started as a medical model for ASD and entirely focused all its resources on finding the perfect treatment for autistic children.
It’s time to realize that awareness of autism and how it impacts the daily lives of many people all over the world isn’t enough. We need to actively accept them by treating them equally and presenting them with the same opportunities anyone of us would get. We need to focus the most on workplace and professional environments since that’s where most of the problem lies. Businesses need to implement better and more friendly hiring policies that include people with learning and developmental disabilities.
Is October Autism Awareness Month?
Only in Canada, October is considered the Autism Awareness Month, where everyone living there is informed and given information about ASD and how this learning disability impacts the lives of many people worldwide. However, April has been chosen as the month of autism and is currently the Autism Acceptance Month on an international level. The word awareness was changed to acceptance very recently.
What is the month of autism?
Like any other month dedicated to a specific cause, Autism Acceptance Month was created to create awareness and acceptance for people with autism worldwide to make their lives easier. Even today, multiple multinational companies don’t hire people diagnosed with ASD due to their strict hiring policies. However, people with autism have different working behavior and thinking patterns. Different doesn’t always mean bad. Professional people will be surprised to see how much value these people can bring to their company if only given a chance.
What color is Autism Awareness Month?
The primary reason movements and causes are given color is to increase their impact and so that people can identify them quickly. The color choices vary from to year. For the year 2021, the color blue was chosen to represent the International Autism Acceptance Month.
When was Autism Awareness Month created?
The very first Autism Acceptance Month was held in the April of 1970.
Is April World Autism month?
Yes, the month of April is considered to be Autism Acceptance Month internationally.
What is the symbol for autism?
In 1999, the puzzle ribbon symbol was officially chosen to represent Autism Acceptance Month worldwide.
