Celebrating Autism Awareness Week

March 27th - April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Week.

♾️ It is a week to acknowledge and advocate for the rights of individuals with Autism around the world. The goal of thus week is to increase awareness about Autism.

♾️ Autism remains widely misunderstood and stigmatized by society, facing a lack of inclusivity, educational opportunities, and access to treatments and services that could improve their lives. Campaigns like Autism Acceptance Week and World Autism Day are working towards positive changes to this.

Here are some ways you can support and celebrate this week:

🌈 Learn About the History of Autism

• We’ve come a long way in the last 100 years in better understanding and treating autism. And year by year more research and treatment options are emerging for children and adults with autism.
• See here for more information on this

🌈 Spread Awareness in Your Community

• Be an Autism advocate and spread awareness in your own community by learning more about Autism, showing your support and raising awareness.

🌈 Support Autism-Friendly Businesses and Employers

• There are many businesses actively working to be inclusive of individuals with Autism. Many are actively seeking to hire neurodiverse employees and create more work opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

🌈 Find Sensory Tools that Help

• Sensory tools have many benefits for those who are Autistic. It is a way to self-regulate, engage in safe self-stimulatory behaviors (stimming), manage difficult sensory experiences, ground oneself, exert energy, relieve stress and reduce anxiety.
• Sensory tools can be things that engage the senses, eg. sight (visual), taste (gustatory), touch (tactile), hearing (auditory), and smell (olfactory).

🌈 Read, Watch, or Listen to Something Created By an Autistic person

• First-person accounts, or perspectives directly from individuals with Autism are important. They are a direct look into the experiences of someone diagnosed with Autism and allow others to gain a better understanding of one’s reality.

🌈 Spread Kindness

• Make the world a more inclusive place and spread positivity. Any act of kindness, big or small, can make an impact and is a powerful way to show others you care.
• A family member, friend, or person in your community will feel appreciated, loved, valued, and important.
• Kindness is contagious, and may inspire others to do the same. In the spirit of inclusion, show kindness to those around you.

🌈 Reach out to your loved ones who have Autism.

• Don’t forget to engage the people who should be at the front and center of the activities this month: the people with Autism that you know.
• Find ways to show that you love and support them by spending time doing the things that they like, in social circumstances they’re comfortable with.
• Remember the teachable moments that are in store for you, such as how to adjust to their sensory preferences and to communicate with them clearly.

🌈 Find ways to celebrate differences and promote kindness and inclusivity in your community and encourage others to do the same.

♾️ Know someone who is Autistic? Why don't you tag them and leave an appreciation message for them here (if you want)

♾️ How will you show support this week?

See this masterpost for more on Autism Acceptance Week

Want to join the Support Plus leadership team? See this post

Have feedback or Ideas you want to share about the Support Plus Sub-community? Here

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