To raise awareness for those on the autism spectrum, the month of April is dedicated to providing a safe and inclusive environment for the autistic community.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain.
“People with ASD may behave, communicate, interact and learn in ways that are different from most other people,” according to the CDC. “The abilities of people with ASD can vary significantly. For example, some people with ASD may have advanced conversation skills whereas others may be nonverbal.”
For autistic support teacher Maggie Bialowas, autism awareness month is important for “other students and adults” to be aware of.
“I don’t think my students really find it that important, because they are aware of it every day,” Bialowas said, “but I think it’s good for other students to learn about it and I think it’s good that in elementary school they tell [the students] this is what autism could look like. And then I also think for adults to be reminded that there are even adults that have autism that maybe never got diagnosed.”
According to the Deron School of New Jersey Inc., in 1988, former President Ronald Reagan declared April as autistic awareness month and in 2021, the use of autism acceptance month became used interchangeably.
The symbol most commonly used to show support for autism awareness month is the rainbow colored puzzle piece. As of the 2010s, the use of an infinity symbol incorporating the colors is deemed “more appropriate” for many.
According to Bialowas, “they are not a puzzle that needs to be solved.”
Souderton resident Carey Welsh sharesa similar outlook.
“The [puzzle piece] symbolizes neurodiversity, personal growth and connection to the community and how it’s supposed to all fit together,” Welsh said, “but people in the autistic community are actually saying that it’s a kind of offensive because they don’t want to think of themselves as a missing piece or broken, so now they’re looking at an infinity symbol with all the colors.”
For Welsh, she believes that more people should be aware of what the month symbolizes because of how wide the autism spectrum is.
“When you meet one autistic person, you have met one autistic person because they are all so incredibly different, and they’re also brilliant that being able to underestimate them is something that happens all the time,” Welsh said.
Welsh’s son Logan was diagnosed with autism two years ago and has since undergone therapy to improve his speech.
“For instance, [Logan] understands every single word you’re saying, but does he communicate back to you? No, but does he know how to manipulate you? Absolutely.”
According to Autism Speaks, there are three distinct levels of the autism spectrum, with level one requiring support, level two requiring substantial support and level three requiring very substantial support.
“I know sometimes as an autistic support teacher, I sometimes wish that people could remember that you could be autistic and gifted, because they think sometimes that gets lost. They think like they’re autistic, why would they be in this high class? Well, because they can also have a high IQ. It’s two separate things,” Bialowas said.
According to Welsh, developing a “routine,” is what helps her child manage emotions and behaviors.
“Once they get that communication going, it is so much easier to bring them out of their shell,” Welsh said.