Why we need Autism Awareness Month!

Why is awareness so important? A lot of people may think: “I already know about autism, so why the attention”. The problem is that what people think they know about autism is usually based on a lot of preconceptions. For instance: people with autism are not social, they are all Rainman like savants and they just need firm discipling. When in fact they are social and have a need for interaction, they only find it difficult. The Rainman thing is a stereotype, where they surely show characteristics of people, that are on the spectrum, only very much exaggerated. As for the last one you just don’t discipline the autism out of your child. Yes, they need structure, rules and boundaries just like every child.

When raising a child, that’s on the spectrum, the biggest problems arise when you go into the outside world. In our own homes it’s easier to control situations, it’s the confrontation with the outside world that makes things difficult. The lack of knowledge often creates problems. That is why we have always chosen to be every open about our sons’ diagnoses and problems that arise from that. That doesn’t mean that when people know, there are no problems. However, it will significantly reduce them and most importantly it creates understanding.

Off course it’s impossible to inform everyone you come in contact with, and tell them every little detail of your kids’ life. However, it would be nice if most people would have a general and real idea of what autism entails. This is why Autism Awareness Month is so important. It is up to us as a community to make use of this opportunity to inform people of what autism really entails. Everyone can do this in their own way, it doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. Maybe it means talking to that parent at your kids’ school, or your neighbor, or someone who works at your local supermarket. It’s those seemingly small things that can make a big difference in your kids’ life. And once people know, they will never not know it again.