April 2nd is Autism Awareness Day and the aim is to increase awareness, encourage worldwide support, and inspire individuals. In this post, Linda Berrie from Digital Bricks, tells us about her work with autism.
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects an individual’s perception of the world and their interaction with others. Most people know someone who has autism, whether it is a family member, friend or collegue. Dr Stephen Shore once said, “When you meet one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism”. This is so true and highlights the fact that autism is very diverse and each person is unique.
Autism can impact an individual in many different ways, but it does not define the person. Living with autism is a journey and while some people may face daily challenges others are further on in their journey. Having a diagnosis can be a relief for some but sometimes people go through a grief process. The hopes and dreams they had may have changed, however seeing a diagnosis of autism as a different journey rather than a loss can help to put things into perspective.
Although we may have greater awareness and understanding of how autism impacts on a person this doesn’t mean we should expect them to change. We need to consider what changes we can make as individuals, and as a wider society, to be more inclusive. We can do that by interacting with people with autism, trying to accept and understand them as individuals and learning more about the condition. Small adaptations for us can make the world of difference to someone with autism.
I have always felt privileged to support people with autism. Fifteen years ago I supported a child who found the world a tough place to be. I met her recently and she has grown into a lovely young lady who loves to keep fit, is a talented photographer and is in a long-term caring relationship. She is an inspiration!
While raising awareness of autism let’s celebrate uniqueness and work towards a world that is truly inclusive for all. At Digital Bricks we deliver training in Autism and Neurodiversity. We’d love to chat to you about making your workplace autism aware and inclusive.
Training – Digital Bricks (digitalbrickslearning.com)
If you want to find out more about Autism these links may be helpful.
BBC Two – Inside Our Autistic Minds, Chris Packham invites us inside his autistic mind
Scottish Autism – Autism Awareness Charity & Services for Children & Adults in Scotland