April is Autism Awareness & Acceptance Month

Contributor: I.D.E.A Culture & Climate Subcommittee 

As an organization we welcome opportunities to expand our knowledge in various areas in order to better support the diverse populations that we serve. April is Autism Awareness & Acceptance Month. The purpose is to spread awareness of autism, promote acceptance and ignite change. In 1970, the Autism Society launched an ongoing nationwide effort to promote autism awareness and assure that all affected by autism are able to achieve the highest quality of life possible. In 1972, the Autism Society launched the first annual National Autistic Children’s week, which evolved into Autism Acceptance Month (AAM).

What is Autism?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Autism is a complex, lifelong developmental disability that typically appears during early childhood and can impact a person’s social skills, communication, relationships, and self-regulation. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a “spectrum condition” that affects people differently and to varying degrees.

Common Characteristics                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Being nonverbal or having atypical speech patterns, having trouble understanding nonverbal communication, difficulty making and keeping friends, difficulty maintaining typical back-and-forth conversational style.

 Did you know that ….

• The prevalence of Autism in the United States has risen from 1 in 125 children in 2010 to 1 in 54 in 2020.
• The Autism Society of America, along with leading disability organizations across the country, is announcing that it is formally shifting references of “Autism Awareness Month” to “Autism Acceptance Month” and is calling on the media to reflect this in their ongoing coverage. https://www.autism-society.org/releases/media-urged-to-recognize-shift-from-autism-awareness-month-to-autism-acceptance-month-this-april/ 

7 famous people with autism spectrum disorder:

1. Comedic actor Dan Aykroyd
2. Britain’s Got Talent singing sensation Susan Boyle
3. Temple Grandin, a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University and author of several books, including Thinking In Pictures and The Way I See It, didn’t begin speaking until she was almost four years old.
4. According to autism expert Simon Baron-Cohen from Cambridge University, Einstein showed many signs of Asperger syndrome.
5. Actress Daryl Hannah was diagnosed with Autism as a child.
6. Oscar award-winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome.
7. America’s Next Top Model contestant, Heather Kuzmich, was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.

• Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) is a committee that advises the federal government on Autism issues and oversees federal Autism research spending. https://autisticadvocacy.org/2021/07/autism-research-nothing-about-us-without-us/
• Click this link to learn more about this community https://autismacceptance.com/ 

Upcoming Autism Events and Webinars

https://iacc.hhs.gov/meetings/autism-events/ 

Resources to gain a better understanding:

• https://iacc.hhs.gov/meetings/autism-awareness-month/2022/ 
• https://autismacceptance.com/
• https://autisticadvocacy.org/2021/07/autism-research-nothing-about-us-without-us/ 
• https://www.autism-society.org/news/autism-society-of-america-position-statement-on-the-state-of-the-science-in-causes-of-autism/ 
• https://www.autism-society.org/releases/media-urged-to-recognize-shift-from-autism-awareness-month-to-autism-acceptance-month-this-april/ 
• https://www.autism-society.org/get-involved/national-autism-awareness-month/
• https://www.psycom.net/autism-famous-people