April Autism Awareness Month
Jasmin Fitzpatrick (8)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. Just like anything, there is a wide range of behaviors and interactions that affect people with ASD. April celebrates Autism Awareness to bring attention to the disorder, as well as, clear up common misconceptions.
When you think of Autism you might think- weird, strange, or out of control. Some people might think – people that should be left out or in their own school. But in reality, people with ASD have problems with communication and social interactions. Some have restrictive or repetitive behaviors. Really, people with ASD just have a different way of learning, moving, or paying attention.
Autism Awareness Month was founded by Dr Bernard Rimland in April 1970. He was a psychologist and an autism researcher. He chose the month of April to coincide with his son’s birthday as well as the start of spring, a time for new beginnings.
Our campus has a variety of students. Some that are straight A students, some that are amazing athletes, some that struggle at home, but shine at school. We also have gift children, children learning disabilities such as dyslexia. We also have students with autism. Yup, I bet you are even friends with some of them!
Ms Escobedo, one of the teachers that work closely with these students, has been in education for 20 years now. She has worked with all different types of students and has said that some of her favorite students we autistic. “I enjoy the students and parents being able to create a bond with a student.” She continued explaining that by being more aware of what makes people with autism tick you can better teach them. “Just like any student,” once you figure out likes and dislikes, or how students learn the best, you can better serve them.
Sometimes students are overwhelmed with crowds, sometimes it’s loud noises, other times it can be a simple fascination. It reminds me of Sam from Atypical. He’s an autistic student in high school who is fascinated with penguins. He struggles even having a conversation with students at lunch, but once you get him talking about penguins, he can tell you more than you will ever need to know about them.
In light of April being Autism Awareness Month, remember that autism is not something you can get rid of and it’s something you learn to grow and understand.