Autism Awareness Month Blog By: Valerie Ducos “Treat others the way you want to be treated” is a simple statement we’ve all heard growing up yet at the same time society tends to make it complicated. April is Autism Awareness Month, Autism Speaks defines Autism as “Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication.”
I have a high-functioning Autistic brother, although he is 6 years older than me, I am mentally the older sister. From my perspective as a sister, as a person who does not have to live with his disability, it can be difficult to work with him, but he is still a human being. Over the years Autism cases have grown and more people are aware of the condition but that doesn't mean everyone treats them with respect. I’ve seen my brother thrive under the right environment but I’ve also seen him put himself down and isolate himself when surrounded by certain types of people who exclude him because they don’t know how to behave around him. It’s easier than it seems, treat them the same as you would to any other person but recognize that it may mean a bit more effort, a bit more patience on your part. Including a peer does not come with the same responsibilities as being a caretaker, so what is stopping you from being a better person than those who make fun of and purposefully avoid Autistic people? What is perspective? Oxford Languages defines perspective as “a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view”. In english class we learn about different points of views, how to write in them and how to analyze works written in different points of views. But how does this translate into our own lives? Everyone has different opinions based on the way we grew up and our beliefs, but we also perceive the world differently. Just as we are limited to a character's thoughts, we are limited to how others feel and we are limited to perceive the world in a different light than others. One of the main characteristics of having Autism is having challenges with perceiving social clues and how to develop so-called normal social behavior. This is why many Autisitic people either fall in the category of very quiet and shy or the opposite, of being over-sharing, talkative and open. A majority of people who exclude those with Autism don’t realize that they would like to be included, just because they can’t take steps to join a group doesn’t mean they wouldn't appreciate it. Several Autisitc people also keep to themselves because they don't want to feel like a disturbance to others, due to the experiences they have lived through. But just like everyone else, they would like to be included because they are human beings with a disability that makes them seem different, due to a different pace of mental development and barriers with social skills. They perceive the world in a much different way than everyone. The Watermark’s April prompt is about your own perspective (and or opinion), just as in perspective to those with Autism they don’t grasp social clues, it’s not something they can necessarily control, but rather a differing perspective about social interaction due to their disability. In order to create the opportunity for everyone to participate, our prompts are broad but still relate to the main topic. This year The Watermark aims to create awareness about different subjects, Autism cases are growing but inclusion isn’t, don’t just talk positivity and inclusion, but act on them.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Valerie DucosMain Author of The Watermark Makerspace & Editor-In-Chief of The Watermark. About the Makerspace:
Made to entertain, inspire and create. Mix of literature, daily life, fun and creative writing. Want to be a guest author?
Opportunity to submit articles such as book reviews, trendy DIYs, tips for writing etc. Email The Watermark |