Autism Awareness Day. 2020.

Today it is Autism Awareness day.
With the current situation of the world, it seems wrong, somehow, to even talk about it.
I need to though, because it is not just a day for us, it is our everyday.

During these past few weeks I have met parts of Autism I didn’t realise existed.
With the extreme measures put in place, school closures, and lots of new rules to learn, we have seen more meltdowns than ever.
We have learnt just how little understanding of consequences my girl has.
We thought we knew all about Our Autism, but even that goes deeper than we realised.
It has been so hard, and it is only going to get harder as days go by.

Autism. My friend, and foe.

Why is it so difficult to understand Autism?
Is it because it is hidden?
I wonder if Autism had a ‘look’ people would be more willing to learn and accept.

Some disabilities are more obvious than others.
No one questions someone if they are in a wheelchair, or using crutches.
People with invisible disabilities face many challenges, including proving that they are actually disabled.
….that doesn’t sit right with me.

In our everyday life we encounter people with differences.
We don’t have to go far to see someone wearing glasses, or wearing a hearing aid.
These are all accepted, no questions asked.
We don’t need Shortsighted Awareness Week, or Hard of hearing Awareness Week, because it is something we can see, and therefore accepted.

Autism has a negative stigma attached to it.
One that makes people not want to share their diagnosis.
People with Autism find it so difficult to fit in already, without disclosing their difficulties.
Fear.
I think that is what it stems from, fear of the unknown.
People dont want to learn about something they don’t understand, something they can’t see.

Then we have people who believe a diagnosis is an excuse for bad behaviour.
Or people who decide we are bad parents letting our child act the way they do.
They don’t realise the difficulties we face.
The pain, the exhaustion, the isolation.

Whether they may be a low or high functioning person with Autism, the condition remains invisible.
The difference people see is that they are not conforming to the ‘norms of society’.
They don’t fit in, don’t belong, because difference is not accepted.

People with Autism don’t want to be treated different, they just want to be treated like everyone else.
To be understood and allowed to be who they are without judgement and criticism.
For people not to assume who they are based in physical appearance.

Autism is a very complex condition, but with just some very basic knowledge, you can begin to be more aware of the symptoms.
By being aware you will begin to SEE the differences, the disability will no longer be hidden.
Just take a little bit of time to raise awareness and promote acceptance for the many people on the spectrum.