April is Autism Awareness Month.
For weeks now I’ve been trying to come up with the right words to really honour this month but, I haven’t been able to find them because Autism means so many things to me.
My Autism is a nine-year-old boy who loves trains, cars, Dr. Seuss and playing games. A twelve-year-old girl who loves to jump and play with bubbles. An eleven-year-old boy who loves to tell jokes and make people laugh.
When we stop focusing so much on the “Autism” aspect we see a person. A person with talents, skills and abilities. A person who isn’t incapable but very capable in their own ways. A person with dreams and wants and needs. Instead of focusing on what they “can’t” do, we need to focus on what they can do and empower that.
To me, Autism isn’t just increasing numbers and funding cuts (even though I talk about that a lot). It’s not what people can’t do. It’s what they can do. Today we celebrate accomplishments and talk about Autism in a positive light. Which is something we should always do.
Happy Autism Awareness/Acceptance/Whatever you want to call it month.
Stories from the Sand Box... 