Autism Awareness Month

It's Autism Awareness Month in April.

But, I want to bring more than just awareness to this condition.

I want acceptance.

I want less judgment.

I want inclusion.

Let me back up a bit.

I grew up with a neighbor who was/is on the Autism Spectrum - on the severe, nonverbal side of the spectrum.

We could understand certain "words" and all the neighborhood kids would help keep an eye on him.

I have lots of memories of 10 or so kids on bicycles going around the neighborhood looking for him. He was never far.

Maybe because I grew up with him, I'm more accepting? I don't always judge "bad behavior" from kids always as a discipline/behavior problem. I usually give the situation a second thought - you never really know what people are going through.

And most recently this is affecting my life because my amazingly beautiful and insanely brilliant sister was diagnosed with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, or formally known as Asperger's syndrome.

She wasn't diagnosed until she was 40.

I'm not going to go into detail about her situation, since it's hers and not mine.

What I can say is that I think we've finally found the support and help she needed in order to succeed.

So, please. Don't judge. Take a moment and think about what they might be going through.

That mom who looks to have lost control of her kid in the store - her kid might have sensory issues you don't know about. It might be too loud.

But she and her kid deserve to be out in the community. The community needs them out so that acceptance and inclusion can happen.

Instead of judging, perhaps lend a hand or a smile.

Just be kind to people.

When we got the diagnosis, I tried to learn as much as I could. So I could be the best sister.

I bought and read the book The Journal of Best Practices and I feel like that gave me a decent understanding - at least from the author's point of view.

I watch Ted Talks.

I want to know and understand as much as I can.

The world needs to know these people who happen to fall on the spectrum. The world would not revolve if it wasn't made up of different kinds of people.

If everyone were the same, it'd be one hell of a boring place to live.