Autism Acceptance Month occurs every April to align with World Autism
Awareness Day on April 2nd. The theme for 2024 is ‘Celebrating Differences’
which means that the month will be dedicated to celebrating the differences
between people with autism and people who are neurotypical, to foster a
greater sense of inclusivity.
History of Autism Acceptance Month
Autism Acceptance Month used to be referred to as Autism Awareness Month.
The community felt that the focus of the month had changed from trying to
make people aware of Autism and is now encouraging the acceptance of Autism
and neurodivergences. The first Autism Awareness Month was only held in
April 2007 and was originally intended to educate people on Autism and
to raise awareness of the developmental disability. Now, Autism Acceptance
Month is more than the awareness and data, it’s about the stories and
lived experiences of people with Autism that has formed this celebratory month.
The Problem with the puzzle piece to represent the community
The puzzle piece symbol was the ‘logo’ for Autism for a while which has
been viewed to perpetuate and stigmatise individuals on the Autism Spectrum.
The imagery of the puzzle piece suggested that Autism is a problem to be solved,
rather than celebrated. The origin came from the National Autistic Society in the
UK in 1963 by Gerald Gasson who believed that autistic people suffered from a
“puzzling” condition. Initially, they adopted a log of a puzzle piece with a
weeping child, displaying notion that autism is a tragedy.
This transferred to America in 1999 with the Autism Society of America adopting
the puzzle piece ribbon as a symbol of autism awareness. Although this was intended
to represent hope and brightness for the community, the society intended to increase
early intervention and access to appropriate services & treatments. This aimed to
“correct” autistic behaviours by forcing autistic people to mask their autism.
Now, the puzzle piece is synonymous with Autism Speaks which are a controversial
charity. They believe that Autism is a disease that is curable, and the colour
blue represents that males receive more formal diagnoses than females, which
further creates disparities in the neurodivergent community.
As a result, Autistic people reject the puzzle piece symbol.
The Sunflower Lanyard
As Autism is a developmental disability, it is considered a hidden disability
which can be represented by the Sunflower Lanyard pictured below. It is a simple
tool for people with Autism to share that they have a hidden disability voluntarily
and may need extra help, understanding or just more time.
The Joy of Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity is the concept that people experience and interact with the
world around them in many different ways; there is no singular “right” way of
thinking, learning, and behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits.
Every person with a neurodivergence is different and therefore has different needs,
likes, dislikes, communication styles, hobbies, and more.
Dr Stephen Shore, an autistic professor of special education at Adelphi University,
once said that “when you meet one person with Autism, you’ve met one person with
Autism” which was a reference to the diversity and differences in the community from
person to person. One size does not fit all. Instead, Autism Acceptance Month
encourages us to accept, understand, and accommodate for people with autism rather
than trying to “cure” or “overcome” it.
Recommendations
There are multiple ways to support people with autism. The best way to go about
it is to ask non-invasive questions about their preferences rather than assuming.
Just because something works for one person, doesn’t mean it’ll work for another.
Here are some suggestions for how to be neuro-divergent friendly:
- Offer small adjustments to accommodate any sensory needs such as sound sensitivity.
- Offer a quiet break space or communicate when expected loud noises may occur.
- Use clear communication styles.
- Avoid sarcasm, euphemisms, and implied messages unless able to explain what it means. Sometimes, people with autism will take what you’ve said literally.
- Be kind and patient.
- Connect with their special interest(s) - ask them questions, join in with an activity, or just simply don’t make jokes about it.
- Don’t make assumptions – ask a person about their individual preferences.
Our Autism at Warwick Society
Join the incredible Autism at Warwick Society which is a fairly new society set
up by and for autistic students at Warwick University. They run socials and
campaigns as well as providing a safe space for peer support and autism-related
discussions.
They are very friendly and free to join!
They are welcoming to all, including those without a formal diagnosis and don’t
tolerate any form of discrimination in their communities. Visit their
webpage https://www.warwicksu.com/societies-sports/societies/autismatwarwick/ to
find out more and join.