Autism Acceptance Month

We are almost at the end of April. Another "Autism Awareness" month come and gone. Except this year, it has been different for me, because of what Alexa has taught me. The thing is, people don't need to be more aware of autism - it is everywhere now - people need to learn to get beyond their expectations and start to accept some neurodiversity. Let me put that differently - many people with autism aren't being given the opportunity or voice they deserve because we aren't willing to look beyond what we see as odd behavior long enough to hear what they have to say. And that needs to stop.

We have always hoped Alexa would become her own advocate, would speak out for what she needs and believes. Over the last several years I have seen a lot of conversation around the difference between seeing autism as a disease to be cured and a disability to be accommodated. The first characterization implies the eradicating the scourge. The second implies a situation that may not be ideal but that can be dealt with. Over the past month, Alexa has done more to advocate for the latter than I could ever have imagined. Of course, we have always come out in favor of the latter, but this year Alexa put words to the feelings I haven't been able to express. Eradicating autism would eradicate our amazing daughter. Autism is central to who she is, it is the lens through which she views the world, and it shapes her interactions.

That said, I would like her life to be just a little easier. It would be nice for her to be able to volunteer at the local library without judgment about her ability to do the job. It would be great for her to not have to justify reading a book or playing with a gameboy at a restaurant, when she's just trying to cope. It would be awesome for the world to realize that autism looks different in different people and at different stages of development, but that doesn't mean it is any less impactful or difficult for those involved.  And guess what - all sorts of people have autism - adults with autism aren't all super rich nerdy computer guys - it would be great for the world to accept the humanities geeks too ;-)

Alexa is about to graduate with a bachelors degree, and just like the rest of her peers she worries about finding a job. Imagine embarking on that terrifying adventure knowing that the world isn't friendly to the way your brain functions. Yeah, I can't either. So maybe the world could make it just a little easier by offering some acceptance, not just awareness.