Autism Awareness Month

Autism awareness month is over.  People changed their light bulbs and profile pictures on facebook.  But even though the month has ended lets keep the conversation going.  New families join the autism community every day.  While they navigate the new world they are in lets be respectful and now push our views on them but help where we can.  Lets get the adults with autism front and center. Lets start listening to their stories.  I know they are out there, autism doesn't disappear at age 18.  While we are having the conversation on what works and what doesn't lets talk to the people who have lived it and they know better than anyone.  Most autism shows that were on this month only showed the parents and the most severe cases, we need to show it is a spectrum.  People have warped views of autism.  I don't want people to think everyone with autism is either intellectually challenged or a genius that's just not true. The biggest misconception I hear is that people with autism don't have emotions. Yes they do the thing is they don't always understand their own emotions.  Just because someone cannot read another person does not mean they do not feel.  First and foremost we must remember we are talking about people, people who deserve to be respected and loved for who they are.  The first step to acceptance is awareness and it can't stop just because April is over.