April is Autism Awareness Month
April is finally here, which means it’s time to celebrate Autism Awareness Month!
World Autism Awareness Day falls on April 2nd every year. This year will mark it’s 12th anniversary since being proposed in 2007. The goal of the day is to “take measures to raise awareness about people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) throughout the world.”
In truth, this month has different meanings for everyone. The Autism Society is celebrating differences, stating “we believe autism means being different, not being less. Working together, we can show the world how great different can be.”
Autism Speaks is inviting the community to “pledge to go blue to increase global understanding and acceptance of people with autism.”
The UN is raising awareness for access to affordable assistive technologies that help people with autism “participate fully in the life of their communities.”
Some community members don’t like participating in the month at all, reasoning “I want acceptance! I don’t want awareness!”
Quadrant Biosciences is dedicated to helping support the autism community.
To kick it off, we proudly wore blue today and shared what autism awareness means to us!
“I light it up blue for a more inclusive world.”
-Patrick Bailey
“To me, autism awareness month not only highlights the achievements made in autism research, but it more importantly represents 1 out of 59 children who deserve to be recognized for their constant hard work and courage through their diagnostic journey. This month is a reminder to be compassionate towards others, and to love and accept those for who they are, not what their diagnosis tells them.”
-Hannah Weiler
“Autism Awareness Month is a reminder to always be kind to others and to embrace individuals’ unique abilities as we work toward becoming a more inclusive society.”
-Samantha DeVita
“Knowing that my kids’ differences don’t define them, and that we can find answers and support without shame.”
-Jenn McNaught
“To me, autism awareness is a reminder that not every child is the same. It is a reminder to focus on the unique qualities that each child possesses, no matter who they are.”
-Bryan Greene“Autism awareness, to me, is a gentle reminder to model acceptance and understanding for people whom society may view as different. As a parent, it’s a gentle reminder to appreciate the uniqueness of everyone’s parenting journey and instead of making a quick judgment, to make a gesture and be the first person to lend a helping hand or a kind word.”
-Lindsay Lee
“Autism awareness month highlights individuality and the beauty of seeing the world differently, reminding us to support those in need and celebrate all successes, no matter how small.”
-Kayla Wagner
