Updated Post, April 5, 2022 / During the first meeting of the Naperville City Council in April, Councilman Ian Holzhauer read a Mayoral Proclamation regarding recognition of Autism Spectrum Disorder. In attendance were professionals from organizations that have made a difference in the community including Ray Graham Association, Little Friends, Giant Steps, Turning Pointe Autism Foundation, School Districts 203 and 204, Linden Oaks, Western DuPage Special Recreation Association and Naperville Park District.
Original Post, March 10, 2022 / April 1 starts a month-long period now being recognized as Autism Acceptance Month.
While I would like to think that most everyone is familiar with Autism, not everyone knows the details associated with this complex diagnosis. Readers may note that the month has changed from “Awareness” to “Acceptance,” as this better reflects where we have come from over the years.
In doing some research and according to Autism Society, “Autism is a complex, lifelong developmental disability that typically appears during early childhood and can impact a person’s social skills, communication, relationships, and self-regulation. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a ‘spectrum condition’ that affects people differently and to varying degrees.”
The definition above, while accurate, covers a lot of different areas where additional clarity would seem to be in order. Characteristics that were listed included persistent differences in communication, interpersonal relationships, and social interaction across different environments. What this could look like includes being nonverbal or having atypical speech patterns, having trouble understanding nonverbal communication, difficulty making and keeping friends, and difficult maintaining typical back-and-forth conversational style. Restricted and repetitive behavior was noted as a pattern one would observe for some, not everyone.
The more that I pursued another article or section providing additional detail, the more it became evident that autism can’t be adequately described in few paragraphs. The spectrum is wide, and each diagnosis of autism is unique to that one individual.
What is worth noting, however, is that while the definitions of what is above could be interpreted as a childhood condition, autism is a lifelong condition that requires necessary and available supports throughout an individual’s lifespan. Quality of life not only depends upon the foundation of work and support provided during early childhood, but also the educational, medical, social, recreational, and employment supports available to them throughout their development and lifespan overall.
As I think about the work that we do here at Little Friends, we help children, adults, and their families with autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities that need support. We work to develop life skills and communication skills that build self-confidence and independence in both our schools and adult programs. Big picture, the people we serve deserve a life of meaning and quality, and we work to help make this happen for the children, adults, and their families every day.
Being aware of autism is certainly some help. Knowing that there are resources and supports to help those affected and being accepting of individuals dealing with these challenges can be of help too!
