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In some ways, it’s a subtle shift; in other ways, it’s profound: April, once known as Autism Awareness Month, is now Autism Acceptance Month.
Regardless of whether you see it as subtle or profound, I see it as progress. After years of watching the number of people with autism increase, we understand that simply being aware of the differences autism can create is no longer enough. We must work to accept people with autism more readily into all aspects of life.
The latest research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that one in 36 American children live somewhere along the autism spectrum. About 10 years ago, that number was one in every 68. Two decades ago, it was closer to one in 150.
We still don’t know what causes autism, and we don’t know for sure why the occurrence is increasing so rapidly. But we do know this: While autism can create incredible barriers for children and their families, autism does not rob people of dreams, ambitions, hopes or a desire to have a meaningful life.
I see this every day in my work at Damar. Children with the most severe disabilities strive diligently to achieve what you or I would consider mundane. Young men and women who struggle against constant challenges cheerfully accept new ones. Older adults who have lived their whole lives confronting limitations push themselves to new levels of independence.
We see this in Karachi, who splits his time between working at Community Hospital and posting training videos for runners on his YouTube channel. We see it in Keaton, a Damar client who gives back by volunteering to create therapy materials for children with autism. And we see it in Deric, who created a small business making gift bags that he sells online.
The odds are, you’ve seen this, too, even if you didn’t realize it. People living on the autism spectrum are all around us, in the grocery store, in the department down the hall, in our child’s classroom, at a baseball game and so on.
Because our culture has advanced from awareness to acceptance, our neighbors with autism are finding welcoming places throughout the community. Some restaurants offer menus with pictures instead of written descriptions. Big public places offer rooms where people with autism can step away when the crowd becomes too much. Loud, busy attractions offer tools like weighted lap pads and noise-canceling headphones for those times when sensory stimulation overwhelms someone with autism.
Indy’s top sports facilities have gone even further, seeking to engage their fans with autism by installing “sensory walls,” brightly colored displays with varying textures and big letters inviting visitors to touch the wall, which can be comforting for people with autism if they feel anxious or overstimulated. Check out one of these walls the next time you’re at Lucas Oil Stadium, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Victory Field or the Fishers Event Center.
These are big steps forward, allowing individuals and families who once felt they were unwelcome in the wider world to discover compassion, encouragement and, yes, acceptance. I urge us all to see what we can do to continue the progress and to consider how we can ensure that all of the Karachis, Keatons and Derics around us not only find acceptance but have the opportunity to pursue their dreams, ambitions, hopes and desires. The impact on them and on us all will be nothing short of profound.•
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Dalton is president and CEO of Damar.
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