If Autism Awareness Month falls when no one is around to hear it, did it ever really happen? I mean, sure, the autism community has definitely drummed up its fair share of excitement over the last few weeks but, with headlines crammed full of coronavirus, quarantines and, erm, bleach, it’s hard to deny that even our loudest voices carried little weight during an international lockdown.
Because of this, today’s autism news round-up is perhaps more important than ever for making the autism agenda known. So, for everyone who might have been that teensy bit distracted during our most isolated month yet, here is a catchup of the autism headlines you may have missed. As always, links to the full stories can be accessed by clicking on the red titles and the bold headings.
In Memoriam: Mel Baggs
Autistic people are not objects of pity. All life has value. These were the sentiments which were spearheaded through the videos, art and writing of non-verbal, autism activist: Mel Baggs – a remarkable member of our community, who sadly passed away in April, due to respiratory failure.
Perhaps best known for the short film: In My Language, Baggs was a pioneer of autism equality who, having fought tooth and nail from the early 2000s, redefined autistic labels and what it truly means (or more aptly doesn’t mean) to be ‘low functioning’.
With additional topics covering abuse of the autistic community, both domestically and outside the home, under Baggs’ watch the challenges of the autistic community were never brushed under the carpet: making the work of the activist essential in ushering in what we now know as the neurodiversity movement.
Although, now at peace, Baggs continued to fight the injustices autistic people face, right up to their passing on April 11th and so, in their tribute, it’s now up to us to take up the baton and continue the incredible legacy Braggs left behind.
Autism Research Continues Under Lockdown
Regarding autism diagnosis, April was certainly a month of two halves. At one end, studies into the reliability of old faithfuls, like the Autism Spectrum Quotient, raised concerns as to the validity of diagnoses questionnaires. Whilst, at the other end, advancements in creating remote diagnoses for those in the process of getting an autism identity before COVID-hit, began to excel.
Of course, the final outcome of both these discoveries and more are unlikely to go much further, due to limited availability of testing. However, even this had an optimistic update in April, when the National Institutes of Health published a report for autism academics outlining things such as:
- How existing projects should be protected
- How existing & future funding will be handled
- How to continue working on currently inaccessible studies
Additionally, whilst many of the leading autism researchers went into hibernation over the last few weeks, it appears that many of the leading eejits have come out to play. This has resulted in some astonishingly stupid claims being made as of late (including one stating that ‘children who watch lots of TV in lockdown could develop autism‘ – something which the Daily Mail ACTUALLY reported on!).
Nevertheless, I know that many of you are smart enough to be able to know how ridiculous this is, without me having to go into it, thank God!
Autism and Covid-19 Updates
Due to the loss of routine and uncertainty during the coronavirus crisis, many countries began easing their lockdown rules for people on the spectrum during April. Chief amongst these was France who led the pack by relaxing lockdown measures for autistic people as early as April 2nd. However, many countries soon followed.
Unfortunately, not all countries were quite as progressive, as can be seen in places like Spain; where, despite a request from the Spanish autism community asking for extra breathing room, no word was ever officially given.
Nevertheless, it seems that, even the places where the rules were more steadfast, Coronavirus support was available, as can be seen by the many locals in places like in the Italian town of Salve where parks and beaches for those who need it most.
Hopefully, it seems that it won’t be long until lockdowns are things of the past but, in the meantime, make sure to exercise caution before planning a venture outside and, additionally, always be sure to consider any new rules which you might have missed, before going on an outdoor adventure (or run the risk of your journey ending in a nasty fine).
World Autism Awareness Day
There was definitely a unique feeling in the air as we arrived at this year’s World Autism Awareness Day. Perhaps it was because the week before Wimbledon had been cancelled, or maybe it was to do with the earlier news that Joe Exotic had been hospitalized with coronavirus. Whatever the case, it felt weird and even my excitement for this year’s theme ‘Autism into Adulthood’ couldn’t shake the strange feeling that it was going to be different.
However, despite my instant autistic reaction that different is always bad, this year’s Wolrd Autism Awareness Day turned out to be different in a good way – a change which was most noticeable in a huge shift from organizations using blue to raise awareness of autism to the implementation of the much-preferred spectrum of colours (something which was even used on Twitter).
But the changes didn’t stop there and this was by far the biggest amendment we experienced as, for the first time in history, World Autism Awareness Day also saw a last-minute revision from the United Nations, in which the event’s theme, altered at the last minute to reflect the current corona crisis.
Of course, while, I would encourage you to read the full statement made by the unquestionably busy António Guterres made, the short of it was that the UN spent April 2nd telling the world to pull its finger out when it came to ensuring autism equality. This was done in a message to international governments calling for them to ensure standards don’t slip during the pandemic – something which can best be seen in this quote:
They [Autistic people] must continue to have access to the support systems required to remain in their homes and communities through times of crisis, instead of facing the prospect of forced institutionalization.
So, while World Autism Awareness Month might have been a bit hit and miss this year, World Autism Awareness Day turned out to be one of the better in living memory; showing that it doesn’t take a grand gesture of outdoor displays to raise our community profile, just a clear statement of what can be done, yelled at the world by one overworked Portuguese politician.
Carry on the Conversation
How did you celebrate World Autism Awareness Day? Let me know in the comments below. And, for more autistic advice on the coronavirus, please check my article Autism & Covid-19: How to Support Autistic People During the Coronavirus Pandemic.
As always, I can also be found on Twitter @AutismRevised and via my email: AutisticandUnapologetic@gmail.com.
If you like what you have seen on the site today, then show your support by liking the Autistic & Unapologetic Facebook page. Also, don’t forget to sign up to the Autistic & Unapologetic newsletter (found on the sidebar on laptops and underneath if you are reading this via mobile) where I share weekly updates as well as a fascinating fact I have found throughout the week.
Thank you for reading and I will see you next week for more thoughts from across the spectrum.
