Awareness and acceptance of autism
By Christina Maulsby
Certified Family Peer Support Specialist
MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that may cause significant deficits in social communication, social interactions and restricted-repetitive behaviors. It is the fastest growing developmental disability in children.
Autism does not care about your financial status or what color your skin is, if you are married or single, if you live in an urban community with an abundance resources or a rural setting struggling to access supports or services. Autism doesn’t care about your five-year plan or your goals for the future, and it certainly doesn’t care if you already have another child with autism.
Autism will enter your world whether you are ready for it or not; and it will remain a part of your life no matter how hard you plead or deny it.
Autism joined our lives December of 2012 and again in April of 2013. I was not ready either time. I can say the second time hurt as badly as the first time I heard those words, “Your child has autism.”
In those early years I felt alone and isolated with my two young, newly diagnosed boys. I was lost in a confusing system I had never imagined myself navigating. I started to research and educated myself the best I could. I began to push my way through the complex system, learned to ask those hard questions, advocating for what my boys needed and started to find the professionals I needed to build my village.
Awareness of autism was also a challenge in those early years. As autism prevalence grew, so did the need for awareness, acceptance, advocacy and action. If I wanted my boys to be successful, as well as their peers, we needed to produce change. Awareness was vital to our community and remains still today.
With 1 out of every 54 children diagnosed with autism, chances are you know someone, or you yourself will be impact by autism at some point in your life.
We have come so far when it comes to awareness and I believe people are becoming more aware every day. Awareness says you know that individuals with autism are here. Acceptance means you want them here. Acceptance is about encouraging. Making sure everyone is included; supporting individuals with autism to be the best they can be. Helping them succeed in a world that is not always ideal by creating a more inclusive, and safer environment for all abilities and ages.
What can you do? Educated yourself. Spread awareness. Accept all and promote inclusion. Advocate for those that need you the most. Make a difference!
About the Author
In addition to social services at MercyOne, Christina Maulsby has devoted her life to caring for her sons, supporting other children and families and fighting for the addition of support services and therapies in the North Iowa health care community. She writes about her family’s journey with autism in an online blog called Talking For Two, and is a board member of the Autism Society of Iowa.
