Awareness, Acceptance, or Something Different?

Monday, a teen and I sat on the porch at pick-up time. (I was their ride home for the day, and we were waiting for other kids to leave.) They asked, "Did you know today is Trans Day of Visibility?"  I responded, "Yes, did you see the DRC Social Media post this morning?" After looking at the post and giving me a big thumbs up with a grin, they said, "And April is Autism Awareness Month." I replied, "I know," and then went on to say that for whatever reason I can't quite explain, as someone who is AuDHD, I have a hard time with the language used around autism and, more broadly, around neurodivergence. I don't like to use "awareness," but I don't think the word "acceptance" gets us there either.

I am hoping the process of writing about it here will bring me some clarity.

Using the word awareness seems disingenuous. I mean, who at this time in our history doesn't know that autistic people exist and are an essential component of our diverse world?  

And using the word acceptance feels like we are begging others to recognize us as humans.

Some would call this semantics, but I believe it surpasses bickering about vocabulary. It goes back to pathologizing autism as a disorder. It is right there in the name - Autism Spectrum Disorder. And, to make things even more problematic, an official diagnosis (something that may take years to attain) is needed to receive many of the recommended supports - which only ingrains the need to pathologize.

Science has finally begun to realize that autism is a differently wired brain - neither good nor bad - just different. It is time for practitioners and the rest of the world to catch up.

I will not argue that autism often comes with a host of disabilities, including nonspeaking, verbal processing, auditory processing, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyslexia, dyspraxia, etc. However, with learned life hacks and various therapies such as OT and Speech, as well as all the other positive supports, autistic folks can function successfully in this world. Especially considering that assistive technologies aimed at helping us navigate the world are continuously evolving.

Yes, some will need a lifetime of support and won't ever be completely independent, but I maintain that success has a broad range of meanings — feeling happy and fulfilled is just one.

To be clear, we should never remediate or try to expunge autism from the individual - instead, we should be teaching them how to work with and around their disabilities. We don't need fixing! This is why I also don't like the term "intervention," often used to talk about therapeutic tactics that try to "fix" an autistic trait.

For me, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia (clumsiness), social anxiety, sensory overwhelm, auditory processing, and wrangling all of the contradictions of both autism and ADHD are all things that I have dealt with my entire life without truly understanding until very recently that, indeed, they are all disabilities. I have developed numerous strategies over the years to compensate and maneuver through life and all the tasks required to run an NFP - which then means many are surprised when they learn that I am AuDHD.

However, I am consciously working on masking less often and embracing more of the creative energy that is an enormous part of my neurodivergence. Sixty years of hiding my true self is a hard habit to break.

I am beyond grateful to all the kiddos I spend my days with for showing me how it is done.

Now, back to what this month dedicated to autism should be named — it should definitely include words that celebrate, honor, value, and show respect — not simply accept or acknowledge that we exist. Let me know if you have any ideas.

DRC News

The Canton Crew had busy but chill week filled with plenty of adventures.

On Friday, the DRC Pop-ups Peeps and the Canton Crew had the opportunity to visit the Nicandri Nature Center together. The two groups finally had the chance to meet after an entire year of being in separate venues.

Thanks again to Linda & Lucas, the educators at Nicandri. The kids had a ton of fun learning about owls and then dissecting the owl pellets. We discovered that we have a few bone enthusiasts in the group. BL took home most of the tiny bones the other kids found in their pellets.

The guided hike included some obligatory spring mud, to almost everyone's delight.

The Pop-ups Peeps also had a special treat on Thursday. A big thank you to Andy and Jamey from Teens Help at the St Lawrence Health Initiative for coming to the Massena Library to spend time and discuss some important topics with our teens. 

---

Earth Month
This Earth month, DRC is focusing its attention on the inspirational voices of young climate activists from around the world