National Autism Awareness Month is winding down, but there’s still plenty to talk about.
First, a couple of introductory points.
1. What is Autism Awareness Month?
This has been addressed before on both our website and on our previous blog, but Autism Awareness month is, simply put, a campaign to point as many eyes as possible towards autism. It’s a month of donation drives and calls to action.
The Autism Society of America has a good summary:
“Nearly a quarter century ago, the Autism Society launched a nationwide effort to promote autism awareness, inclusion and self-determination for all, and assure that each person with ASD is provided the opportunity to achieve the highest possible quality of life. This year we want to go beyond simply promoting autism awareness to encouraging friends and collaborators to become partners in movement toward acceptance and appreciation.
Let’s embrace a new perspective. For 50 years we have worked in communities (both large and small) to ensure our actions, through our services and programming, supported all individuals living with autism. Let’s expand this work to focus on the rest of us – ensuring acceptance and inclusion in schools and communities that results in true appreciation of the unique aspects of all people. We want to get one step closer to a society where those with ASDs are truly valued for their unique talents and gifts.”
2. How can I help?
Donations.
Donations are always helpful, and something you can do year round. Check out the donation pages for the Autism Society of America and the Autism Self Advocacy Network.
Also: keep informed. All those pages I linked to above are parts of sites that offer an endless amount of resources, research, stories, and information. Learning about autism is the first, and an important, step.
You can also pursue networks such as Autism Speaks and medical websites such as the CDC.
3. Our month ahead
Though there’s only a couple of weeks left in April, you can expect 3 or 4 blog posts over the next couple of weeks. We want to make the most of National Autism Awareness Month.
