Did you know the Autism Society of America established Autism Acceptance Month in 1970? In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly officially declared April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day. The name was then changed to Autism Acceptance Month in 2021 to emphasize inclusion and respect for the community. In honor of this year’s Autism Acceptance Month, here are some powerful words and events from the community!
There are 21 regional centers in California. Regional centers are non-profit, community-based agencies that provide services for individuals with developmental disabilities. The San Gabriel Valley Regional Center, established in 1986, has helped thousands of individuals since! In honor of the month, the center hosted a prom experience for their clients and its annual “sirens of silence” event. The event is so popular that on the first day of registration, they had nearly 100 people sign up for it!
On April 4th, several staff and vendors came together for the success of the prom experience, where over 100 individuals attended! The night was filled with food, dancing, photo booths, and singing! Josie Martinez, a Community Outreach Specialist at the center explained that to her, autism acceptance means, “The idea that people with autism aren’t looked at differently and that opportunities are created to interact with everyone to see they are no different; At the end of the day, we are all people.” These powerful words from Martinez showcase the importance of Autism Acceptance Month!
Later in the month, on April 12th, the “Sirens of Silence” event took place at the regional center. The event’s name acts as an oxymoron, to showcase the stress that can come from emergency services to individuals with sensitive triggers. The events hosted La Verne’s fire department and Police services so that individuals could interact with the emergency services in a controlled and comfortable manner. The event also had several vendor booths to provide resources to the clients and their families.
The Autism Society of Los Angeles was also at the event, providing resources and advice to several individuals. Angela, an Outreach Specialist at the society, when asked for kind words, exclaimed, “Treat people how you want to be treated. You never know what you will encounter, so judgment is not acceptable.” These wise words from Angela show the importance of awareness and advocacy.
In addition to the events hosted by the regional center, Gladstone Elementary hosted its annual “Be You” event. Sponsored by the Gladstone PTA, which focused on awareness and acceptance at the school! The event was filled with several activity stations, promoting different ways of thinking and interacting. One of the attendees, Miguel Soto, Shull Elementary third-grader, when asked what he thought of the event, said, “It was really fun; I loved the sensory bottles! And I also got to play games with lots of people!”
Overall, the community did an amazing job honoring the month! The regional center and local elementary school are just two prominent examples of changemakers and advocates! Worldwide, initiative is being made in various impactful ways. A recent popular television series, Love on the Spectrum, has been showing the world the importance of inclusion. The popular Netflix series follows individuals on the spectrum while they look for love and tackle misconceptions about themselves. To end off, all these examples prove the importance and impact of support and acceptenace. Be sure to always promote inclusiveness in all your spaces and communities!
