April is Autism Awareness Month

THIS April is Autism Awareness Month, a month that focuses on sharing information and stories to increase the understanding and acceptance of people with autism.

Nemisha Hiraman, a Board-Certified Behaviour Technician and Montessori Directress, has been in the field for five years.

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“Autism is a spectrum disorder that is characterised by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech and nonverbal communication. The three main symptoms of autism are social communication challenges and restricted or repetitive behaviours. Autism symptoms may show up in early childhood and may persist and interfere with daily living,” she said.

Hiraman added that it is known to be a spectrum disorder because no two children are the same. This means that if a child is high functioning, they may require less aid compared to a child who is low functioning and may need more support.

World Autism Month incorporates World Autism Day, which is held on April 2 every year.

“One way to acknowledge the day is to recognise all the amazing children in our lives who show signs of autism. The purpose of this day is to celebrate that these children are heroes, even at such a young age, because they’re able to be an inspiration to us all,” she added.

She said there are many autistic children who are nonverbal or who cannot regulate themselves emotionally, and that alone is a daily challenge.

“This day allows us to bring awareness to the community by showing solidarity in order to judge less, love unconditionally and assist in any way we can. For example, this can simply be cooking a meal for a mom with an autistic baby to lessen her load; volunteering to babysit an autistic toddler for the day if he is comfortable with you, and lending an ear to listen to a parent of an autistic child,” said Hiraman.

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