Every year, we celebrate world autism awareness month in April. During this annual celebration, organizations, companies, support groups, and individuals who are passionate about the cause take part in spreading awareness of autism. They’re also dedicated to promoting acceptance of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), so people living with this disability feel loved and accepted by society.
For their message to get across, autism awareness supporters find many ways to reach a larger audience. Usually, organizations make informative autism awareness posts on social media, hold charities, and create events with autism support groups. They also give away promotional items like customized rubber wristbands and autism bracelets that feature hashtags or names of websites that spread autism positivity, so people can use them as resources to learn more about the disability.
Although dedicating a month each year to educate people about the disability helps dispel the harmful ignorance of autism, understanding the importance of autism awareness can’t be compressed into one month. There is still a long way to go to create a modern society where people with autism aren’t judged or seen to be different from others. That’s why a continuous effort to spreading awareness of autism is needed, so more people will be knowledgeable about the research that goes into it and the challenges people with autism face every day.
Here are just some ways on how the constant spread of autism awareness can leave a positive impact on society.
To Educate People about Autism
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1% of the world’s population has autism spectrum disorder. That’s over 75,000,000 people with autism, but even though their numbers are great, a lot of people are still unaware of what ASD really is. If someone doesn’t know anything about the disorder, it’ll be difficult for them to empathize with a person with autism. They’ll also have trouble understanding why funding for ASD research is important.
By spreading autism awareness, people can be properly educated about the disability. They’ll know that autism has no one cause, and the signs and symptoms of autism vary from person to person. They’ll also recognize the importance of funding ASD research since researching more about the disability allows the scientific community to provide better help for people with autism. What’s more, raising awareness will help shed a light on the challenges that people with ASD face. In doing so, people can become more empathetic towards people with autism and treat them as equals.
To Shut Down Ancient Myths and Misconceptions about Autism
Another reason why autism awareness is important in today’s modern society is to dispel ancient myths and misconceptions about the disability. Even though a lot of research has already been made to better understand ASD, people can still come across wrong information about the disorder and be easily misled by them.
Common myths about autism, such as treating autism as an illness, that contracting autism is possible, and that autism can be cured, are still believed by many. By properly educating people about the disability, there is hope that people will change their previous, negative assumptions about ASD and be more informed about the truths of it.
To Stop Spreading Fear and Hate
People fear things they don’t know or understand, so if they aren’t knowledgeable about ASD, they become indifferent to the plight of people who have autism. They can also be hostile towards people with ASD because they see them as persons who are inferior to them. Ignorance is a tragedy, and if it isn’t dealt with correctly, the fear and hate that people with autism face will continue to spread.
That’s why raising autism awareness has to be a continuous process. When the correct information about this disability is shared, it’ll help fight against the negativity that surrounds ASD. It’ll also make others understand that even though people with autism may carry themselves differently, they are just ordinary individuals who want to live happy and fulfilling lives.
One of the main goals of autism awareness is to help create a community where people with ASD are loved and accepted. Although great strides have been made to provide people with ASD with the right type of care, people who are passionate about the cause are still bringing up the importance of having a world where the needs of people with autism are adequately met.
A lot of things still need to be done to make the world more accepting of people with disabilities. Until now, people with ASD are being mistreated and discriminated against because of their disability. Many people with autism also don’t get to enjoy the same freedoms that many others do, due to the limitations that society has placed on them. By raising autism awareness, we can shatter the misconceptions about the disability and build a society where people with autism can live the lives they want to have.
