Why Autism Awareness is Important
I sit here in the car, in the middle of nowhere, where there is no reception, as I write this. If you celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday, I hope you had a good holiday. I’ve had something on my mind for a long time that I wanted to get out. This is kind of a personal rant, and I’m not usually one for using social media to run my mouth.
I was diagnosed with autism when I was seventeen. Over the last two years I’ve known I’ve had it, I’ve done research and learned that autism is way more common than you think. It’s, like, one in fifty. They’re come to realize that autism varies between each person who has it, which is how they concluded its frequency. Autism was always one in fifty. I’m sorry if you believe a vaccine caused your kid’s autism. It didn’t, but whatever.
When I was in middle school, I met someone with autism for the first time. Along with the other students, I outcasted them. Meanwhile, the other students also outcasted me. I always knew I was different, but I didn’t think autism was the cause of it, even though it was. I wasn’t made aware of autism before meeting that student, and the same went for most of the other students. Had we been made aware of autism before meeting that student, would we have been so mean to them? Why aren’t students made aware of people who are different anyways? I always bullied different people because nobody made me aware of their existence or that that their differences were okay beforehand.
For something as common as autism, students have to know the signs and know how to treat someone with autism. Unfortunately, most people with autism are not properly taught how to function in society. It’s the job of neurotypicals to teach us when we need to act neurotypical and how. I believe it is important for people with autism to know how to act neurotypical when they need to, and for the neurotypical people to help the people with autism when they are in an uncomfortable situation. If you see someone panicking at a situation people don’t normally panic with, they probably have autism or some other mental disorder, and they need help. Help them. They’re not stupid; they are just in a situation they’ve never been in and don’t know what to do.
If you have autism, take advantage of available services. Find someone who will teach you when you need to act neurotypical and how. Your autism makes you unique, and you should embrace it, but it’s also important to learn social skills and how to get around in society. Don’t shield yourself from uncomfortable situations. The only way to define your limits is by going beyond them. Your best memories will come from doing new things.
Have a great whatever time of day it is for y’all!
