Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition that impacts the way a person communicates, socializes, and regulates their emotions and behaviors. Not so long ago, people referred to autism as a disease and claimed it could be “cured” or “fixed”. Thankfully, our understanding has evolved, thanks to spreading awareness and, most importantly, accepting people for who they are. Autism is simply another way of thinking—differences of minds, not a weakness.
April was once called Autism Awareness Month back in the 1970s, focusing on spreading awareness about ASD to educate others on the challenges they face, as well as their families, in the outside world. Things have changed since the 70s, as well as our understanding of certain things. Since 2007, April has been known as Autism Acceptance Month, a month dedicated to spreading love and support to autistic individuals, making them feel seen and valued! While awareness is still so important, this month goes beyond that, allowing their accomplishments to be celebrated, shifting our focus from awareness to understanding, inclusion, and accepting diversity.
Neurodiversity is the idea that neurological differences, like autism, are natural variations of the brain. Autistic individuals perceive the world through different lenses and have unique strengths. Having a whole other level of attention to detail can lead to innovative thinking and problem-solving skills, adding to the richness of human variation.
Despite decades of progress, there are common misconceptions about Autism Spectrum Disorder that persist in society. For instance, saying autistic people hate socializing, can’t live independently, need constant care, and the worst myth of all, “autism is a mental illness”. These misconceptions, aside from being untrue, are offensive. It’s the same as saying that a cat will bark simply because it has four legs and a tail like a dog. Each person with ASD is different in their ways, and putting their identity in a box is harmful as it limits our understanding and silences their identity. A little more understanding, patience, and awareness can go a long way.
There are billions of people in the world, and every single mind and body is unique and different from one another. No two people are the same, and it’s something that needs to be celebrated, not mocked, not feared, not fixed.
