Once in a while, we come across a guest Expert who has something impactful to contribute to the Savvy Auntie Community. Since April is Autism Awareness Month, we invited Bonnie Sayers,a freelance writer/editor that has many Autism Family Adventures and writes about Autism Spectrum Disorders, to share her thoughts on the occasion.

What is Autism Awareness Month?

My oldest son turned fourteen recently, making it eleven years now since his diagnosis of autism.  Eight or nine months later I was certain that my other son was also on the autism spectrum.  The time between each diagnosis was my introduction into the world of autism, learning about signs and symptoms.  They are fifteen months apart.

This was a time before I owned a computer, but there was still the general public out there observing us during our errands and outings.  I needed understanding during a crisis with limited time to converse with strangers on what was happening with my children.
 
With the first autism diagnosis I learned of the Autism Society of America, an organization that has been in existence for over forty years.  I ordered some bookmarks that had information on autism with a phone number.  My younger son was already in an Early Intervention program at a college campus, while my older son had been enrolled in a preschool special education class.

An employee at the college translated the card in Spanish, printing and laminating a dozen or so for me to educate the public and explain the behavior of my children while in stores.  Autism was considered to affect 10-15 of every 10,000 births.  I kept a few bookmarks with me and would hand them to whoever was behind us in line.

Magazines like Time and Newsweek had cover story articles on families and issues pertaining to autism spectrum disorders.  I went to our regular stores while my children were at their classes to show the clerks and managers these magazines.  I would grab several issues to bring to the store employees indicating they should read the stories on autism during their breaks.  This really helped open the lines of communication and was my first venture into promoting autism awareness. 

World Autism Day is April 2nd

It turned out that the Autism Society of America has been celebrating National Autism Awareness Month since the 70s.  This occurs in April with the addition of April 2nd known as World Autism Day.  ”People worldwide use this day to bring awareness to autism as a growing global health crisis.”

Helping to make others aware

The purpose of autism awareness month is to increase public awareness about autism for families and local communities.  This can range from a multitude of events taking place around the country, to stories in newspapers, magazines and in local and national media.  For many it is wearing a bracelet on their wrist with colors or messages regarding autism awareness.  It could be an autism ribbon pin or buttons with varying range of messages saying you are the parent, aunt, teacher or person with autism.

Over the years I regularly purchase awareness items at Buttons and More.  Like me, many families prefer to make their purchases from another autism family to support one another in their endeavors to promote awareness of autism in April and throughout the year.  I have given out products to teachers, therapists, aides and other families.  My youngest son has many autism related shirts with messages to the public that help break the barriers with the images of what autism is and how children cope and behave.

Families can share books for kids with their schools to help classmates comprehend what autism is. They're probably curious to know how someone becomes autistic and what limitations there are for the special needs student.  I like to say I promote positive autism awareness by showcasing the talents my children have along with their achievements.  Autism is a life long disability; it is not the end of the world or a life sentence.

Autism awareness, organized

There are many autism organizations around the world; each has a unique voice and message.  In April they all come together to spotlight autism through fundraisers, walkathons, conferences, sporting events, books and magazines.  Education and self-advocacy are important goals for those on the autism spectrum.  Acceptance in society is a major factor in their success.
 
Support autism awareness in April by learning more on the subject and spread the knowledge.  There are a slew of autism products on ebay, café press, etsy and zazzle.