Formerly Autism Awareness Day, this day of recognition stresses acceptance, not just awareness.

Interestingly enough, I did not find a logo/meme with the word “acceptance” in the place of “awareness.” I don’t know if this was an oversight, or if I just didn’t look hard enough. The whole month of April is dedicated to learning about and, this year, going a step further and interacting with, autistic friends and acquaintances. Instead of just saying to oneself, “Oh, there’s Charlie; he’s autistic,” people are being encouraged to go over to Charlie, greet him in a non-threatening manner, and begin a friendship/relationship with him. It is not enough to be aware; one must accept.

Last year, I used the month of April to explore “All Things Autistic” on this blog. There are references to autistic students I’ve taught, friends who are “on the spectrum” and reviews of books I read for the “project” which featured an autistic character. Since then, I have been fascinated by the autistic mind and would love to know more. Even better, I wish I could get to know an autistic individual in a “close up and personal” way. I attended two virtual lectures (power point presentations) given by psychology students as part of their course work last semester and this semester, and I learned a good deal of practical advice onNational dealing with autistics. I’ve only had three students who fell under this category with the disabilities office, but they were some of the most rewarding teacher-student relationships I’ve formed in my thirty plus years at my university. I would love to be privy to information from autistic students themselves on what teachers/professors should and should not do. I am sure the replies would be as diverse as are the people classified as autistic.

What are your experiences with autism? Do you have any interest in the topic? Thoughts?