Why Autism Awareness is Important
While I was working toward my teaching credential and Masters in Education, I got a job at a non-public school for students with autism. I worked with 9th-12th graders who were on track to graduate with a high school diploma. Many of these kids had goals to go off to college.
But, the non-public school setting is an extremely restrictive setting.
These students were placed at our school because the public schools they had previously attended did not have the appropriate services or supports available for their unique and complex needs. This meant that they were not “mainstreamed” – or integrated with “typically developing peers” – for the entire school day because our school was only for students with autism.
Since this environment was so restrictive, we knew our students would not be appropriately prepared to enter the real world simply by finishing high school. Our NPS (non-public school) didn’t exactly mirror what “real life” would look like. We wanted to ensure that we were giving our students opportunities that would help them be successful once they left the safety net of our school. So it was important that we create other meaningful opportunities for our students.
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How did we prepare our students for the real world?
One thing we did to help with the transition was an organized field trip to Santa Monica College. We had plans to take public transportation, get a tour of the college campus and Office of Disabilities, and make our way back to Culver City all in a few hours.
After attendance was taken and everyone was accounted for, we walked down the street to the bus stop. Each student had the correct amount of change in their pocket – ready to deposit in the bus driver’s farebox. Once we all loaded the Big Blue Bus that would take us to Santa Monica College, I breathed a sigh of relief. However, I tensed up again when, within the first five minutes, I could tell the other passengers were frustrated with our students. One man, I recall, got really angry with one of the students for standing in his way.
“Hurry up and get in a seat!” he screamed at Connor.
This man glared at Connor and Connor quickly threw himself into one of the first available seats, sweating and breathing heavily. Connor had a tendency to stutter when he was nervous. He attempted to apologize to the angry man, but it was almost incoherent.
The man continued to glare at Connor and the rest of the students with such anger in his face.
Throughout the entire day, I felt as though I was constantly on guard. It wasn’t just the man on the bus. There were more people we faced that made rude comments to us. Others muttered under their breath. And one girl nearly trampled over us while we were buying lunch at Subway.
All of these situations had something in common.
Our students were an inconvenience.
They stood in the middle of the sidewalk when others needed to pass by. One student tried to order from the cashier instead of underneath the, “Order here” sign on the other end of the counter. They spoke out during the group tour when the leader was explaining something. And then they remained silent when it was time to interact and ask questions. They made inappropriate jokes and didn’t notice the several passersby scowling at them.
Our students were not only inconvenient. But they were unaware that they were being inconvenient and unorthodox.
Why Autism Awareness is Important
“What if the puzzle of the world was a shape you didn’t fit into? And the only way to survive was to mutilate yourself, carve away your corners, sand yourself down, modify yourself to fit? How come we haven’t been able to change the puzzle instead?” – Jodi Picoult
Autism is often referred to as an “invisible disability.” Though an individual with autism may not be in a wheelchair or have any obvious medical supports, it’s likely that they may struggle in another, less visible form.
Had our students appeared to have a physical disability, people would have been more willing to make accommodations or offer assistance when our students were acting in an unconventional way.
But they didn’t. They just got angry.
Because there was nothing particularly obvious about our students’ outward appearance.
So we experienced insensitivity and assumptions and accusations. All because of the invisible nature of autism. The man on the bus, the woman at Subway, the tour guide. None of them had any idea that our students struggle with social norms and with the ability to process the information around them. To the average onlooker, they were bad kids that needed to be disciplined.
Related Article: Calming Activities for Kids
Questions of the Day:
- Do you know someone on the Autism Spectrum Disorder?
- How are you going to play your part and “light it up blue” to celebrate Autism Awareness Month?
Donate to Autism Speaks
This makes me so sad. People can be such jerks. And honestly it surprises me that people didn’t really realize that this was a group of students trying to learn about how to be prepared “in the real world”. Maybe it’s because I am a teacher, but when I see a group of young adults out together during the school day, I kind of figure out what is going on. But you are right, Autism is an invisible disability. When a young child is having a meltdown because of sensory overload, people often think that the parent doesn’t know what they are doing, instead of thinking it could be something else entirely.
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That’s one of the things that frustrates me most. And I’m sure parents deal with it far more often than teachers do. But, a lot of times, I tend to give a child some space while they’re coming back down from an emotional escalation. Or sometimes I’ll ignore them if it’s attention seeking behavior. And, more often than not, I have an adult wandering the halls giving me look as if to imply that I should be intervening and fixing the issue at hand. (I WAS fixing the issue at hand. But, in my own – more productive – way!)
As a mother to a 4 year old on the autism spectrum, this scares me.
We are only at the beginning of our journey with autism, preparing for his transition into “big school” next year and trying to prepare for the challenges he may face.
But to think that he will encounter such people as those you described, it makes me feel ill. What is the solution?
I think you’re absolutely right in saying there needs to be more awareness about autism.
Awareness will bring understanding and hopefully compassion. Life is hard enough as it is, we just need to support each other!
Yes! The more we open up conversation about it, the more successful our kids will become at advocating for themselves and explaining to people why they may react/act the way they do sometimes.
We just got my son’s diagnosis this October. We have a really supportive community now, but things like this really scare me for when he is older. I find as a parent that half of my job is educating people we interact with about why he does things a little differently.. . and getting them to believe he has autism. Grr.
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I can’t think of someone I admire more than a parent of a child with special needs. There are a million more things you have to think about. There are a billion acronyms you have to remember. And you have that side job of informing others about your son and why he may need a little extra love and support.
Its people like you that give me hope that this world isn’t all that bad. <3
This is a great post, I have two friends with kids on the spectrum and also a cousin on the spectrum and it’s so important to raise awareness about it, especially when it’s different in every person. I am so excited that Sesame Street just introduced a Muppet with Autism, I really hope it helps teach kids (and maybe their parents too) more about it. I will definitely be wearing some blue this month to raise more awareness of Autism.
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Yes! I squealed out loud when I saw the Sesame Street news. Making gains! I love it.
One of my friends has a daughter on the spectrum. I want the world to be better for her – and others with an “invisible disability.” Thank you for sharing this post!
I’m a consultant for Usborne Books and for anyone that books a party during April (just sets it up, it can be later) then I’ll personally donate $5 to Autism Speaks. I had one party already and another on the way so that’s $10. I want to donate more though, so if you or anyone you know wants to set up a party, please get in touch. We have books for all ages. Here’s my shop if you want to check it out: https://c6871.myubam.com/
-Lauren
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I love this! Thank you for saying every part of this. I have worked with numerous students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and I love every one of them! They have wonderful personalities, and so many talents, and they are capable of so much success. If only the rest of the world would stop to remember to be kind. To me, it’s simple: be kind to everyone. Practice patience. Remember that you don’t know a stranger’s (Adult OR child) story. It makes me sad to hear what your students experienced, and I hope that the more people bring awareness to Autism, the better it will get.
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The story of the man on the bus makes me incredibly sad, but I’m sure it’s a lot more common than one would think 🙁 My friend has a son with Down Syndrome and he is THRIVING in a public school setting where he is meeting people from all walks of life. I can’t imagine that anyone could ever be rude to someone with a learning or other disability but I always love what you do to spread awareness. Thank you, sweet Divya <3
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Thank you for sharing this. Bringing awareness is key to changing the way people act. I live in an area with several special needs kids and adults and I am so excited when I see them out in the community with their school groups learning about life skills.
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This is so good. Understanding and awareness is critical to giving people with autism the support they need! Thank you for such a beautifully written piece with such practical application.
My cousin’s son was recently diagnosed with autism at the age of 5. Thankfully she’s also a teacher and a great advocate for him.
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This is so true! I wore blue all weekend in support and have been talking to everyone I can. So many students fall in to the spectrum and parents get so afraid when they hear that word. I am loving normalizing it and showing how successful students with autism can be.
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Our pediatrician believes my 5 year old is on the spectrum so I need to get him tested. I wish people would realize we are all different and unique. Every single human being. Sesame Street is introducing a new character that is autistic on April 10th! My boys love that show!
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Thank you so much for sharing this. Bringing awareness is so incredibly important.
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I think it was a professor of mine that said you really need to make an effort to be kind to everyone because you don’t know the battles they’re fighting. That’s so true here. You’re a hero for doing what you do!
My oldest son is on the spectrum and is now 25 years old. He is amazing and wonderful and now tries to help others with similar struggles. It helps me so much to talk to other parents with kids on the spectrum to share strategies and just have a shoulder to lean on.
This is so important! Thank you for sharing at the perfect time of the year <3
Beautifully written post, as always! This touches so close to home for me, I grew up with a close family member who has autism. It really is “the invisible disability” and it’s devastating when people pre- judge someone, make fun of them, or don’t give the time to truly understand just because it is not something you can tell with the naked eye. Thank you for sharing this, I hope it reaches many people!
My heart goes out. As a mom of 2 boys I can only imagine. Hang in there.
I loved your post. I’ve always tried to be patient and show love for everyone even if they have a specialness about them. Yesterday my best friend and I sat on the beach with a boy who had autism. His father insisted to the boy to carry on, but I assured the father it was ok and I answered all the boys questions. We had fun. Thank you for the post.
This is something people definitely shouldn’t overlook. I wouldn’t want behavioral misunderstandings lead to bigger problems.
My high school boyfriend had a brother with Aspergers syndrome and it ws the first time I really learned about ASD. Its very interesting how different all of the disorders are.
So worth the read. Thank you for this. Was happy to share it on Twitter. xoxo
Thanks for sharing this Divya. I definitely picked up a few things. Totally agree – awareness is important otherwise people judge/accuse/assume.
Oh wow, that’s really tough. It’s a shame the students weren’t able to experience mainstream schooling but it’s great your school was able to take them on that outing, even if people weren’t always nice. It’s definitely an important reminder that you just never know what someone else is experiencing based on how things appear at the surface level.
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I feel so sad reading this post (which was brilliantly written by the way). As a primary school teacher myself, I too want to help all children achieve their potential, and have worked with children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder. It is so hard as you say, being an ‘invisible’ disability, that others are less tolerant of their behaviour because they don’t understand. Thank you for speaking up and promoting awareness.
thanks for sharing this post! I’m a behavior analyst who works with adults with varying disabilities. It’s 100% so important for educators like yourself to recognize how challenging the image of our kiddos (and adults) can be and help support them in these stereotypical views. A loud, flagrant kid is challenging enough in public, but a loud flagrant adult demands even more unwanted attention from the public. Thanks for sharing this important topic
Rae Mindful Rambles
This is an excellent read. Autism is becoming more and more prevelant in sociecty today. Not saying that it is better precieved today than in the past, but just more commonly found. Saying that it is an invisible disablity is so accurate. I try not to judge people, but I definately do. This is such a good reminder that I have not walked in that person’s shoes before I judged them….maybe we all need to be reminded of this now and again. So sad to hear some of the stories you witness on a daily basis. THanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing this and raising awareness. We need more people like you in this world!
This speaks right to my heart! I worked with kiddos with autism during undergrad, grad school, and a few years out of grad school. I can totally relate to this, but most of our kiddos were more severe. Right before I left the company to stay home they opened a school for the kids and I bet it was a similar place.
Excellent post and that’s for shining a light on this!
Great post! I believe Autism diagnoses are going to continue to grow. Education and awareness of this disability are vital to helping those who are on the spectrum to thrive. I am really happy about Sesame Street introducing an Autistic character.
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This just shows that patience and grace can go a long way in this world. Thanks for raising awareness over such an important topic.
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It is SO SO important! It seems as though private schools are their best option! I recently put blue in my hair as a way to show my support and donate to a private school and they raise so much money through it to help students pay their tuition!
It is so sad that people are so mean, but ignorance is a major problem. Society as a whole is getting better but there is still so far to go yet.
It’s so unfortunate when things like this happen. However, it’s great that the students were able to get out and see a different environment. You’re awesome for working with special needs kiddos. 🙂
I hate that those people made your students feel like an inconvenience. I wish the world was more of an inclusive place.
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‘I am a day late in reading and commenting on this awesome post on Autism…… have to say Divya Budhraja Mathur you are an amazing soul, a great teacher and a beautiful human being.
Thanks for making the world more aware of these special kids.
Hope all your educational posts are noticed and read by the US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
Hope more and more awareness is spread and more grants and scholarships are offered to these precious kids.
God Bless You Dear DBM.
My half brother has autism and although it hard to deal with somedays they still need the love and support just like someone who isn’t on the spectrum
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I completely agree with you. I think the public, in general should have more awareness about all children with special needs.
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Autism… Everyone should be aware of it especially now, it is an every day increasing disease that is unfairly made fun of. as well as misunderstood.
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What a lovely reminder this article is to be aware of other around us and to offer grace to any and all. I went through an incredible season of grief. During this season I was totally unable to engage in normal social settings and respond to normal social cues. This article has reminded me that those with Autism have this struggle not just for a season, but everyday. Thank you for your words.