April is " Autism Awareness Month". But for many of us experience Autism Awareness daily. We become aware of just how much Autism can take over our days. For me it can begin with a melt down first thing just because we got off schedule. That seems to be the side of autism most people see and want to refer to is the melt downs, strange stems, and behaviors. The biggest thing is to remember that Autism is not the whole child it is just a portion. I always get upset when I hear people refer to one of my students as Autistic. I would rather you call them by name, not one of Mrs. Ricks autistic students.
My students are children with Autism. That is not how you refer to children with ADHD or other disabilities. You don't say that ADHD kid.
So each day should be Autism awareness not just one month. We who love, teach, and parent these amazing children know that if we sometimes just reach the child the autism takes a backseat for a while. I love when I watch people's reaction to when my student's are in assemblies and they are participating they see them as children. But let one of them spin to the music, ( as if normal kids don't do it) they want to single them out as having an autism moment. I myself love when my student's spin or flap to beautiful music. They have such wonderful senses that they feel and hear so much more. Call it what you want a stem or whatever they truly sense the music and move to the beat. I also enjoy how they see the world and express it with exploration. I have noticed in a lot of my young students studying simple items and wonder what is it that they can focus on for such a long time that I am not seeing. One of my student's really enjoys nature, he will look at the limbs and branches of tree's for a very long time. I would sit with him and try my hardest to figure out what it was he must be experiencing but me being a typical person was unable to see just what he was exploring in his mind.
I recently met an man who was not diagnosed with Autism until very late in life who explained to me that he could look at an engine of a car, take it apart piece by piece in his mind and then put it back together without ever touching the engine. He can play 7 different instruments and can not read music, he hears the notes and begins to play. What amazing minds!!!
So I guess my point today is to those who do not work with these truly amazing children with autism. Is learn about Autism before you make judgments and please learn to see thru their eyes, and hear thru their ears. They might not have a voice yet, but they understand everything that is being said to them. Spread Autism Awareness every day, not just when the Calendar says so.
