World Autism Awareness and Acceptance Day

April 2nd - Yet another World Autism Awareness Day where there is a big discussion about whether to “Light it up blue”, use blue or red as the “colour” for Autism, or to use the puzzle piece or the infinity symbol with all the colours of the spectrum.

The best description I’ve heard about the blue vs red debate can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C4_l2chx-ac/

(Shout out to @britini_dangelo and to my youngest for sharing this reel with me!)

The discussion about whether to use the puzzle piece or infinity symbol seems very individualized. For me, I have a tattoo of a puzzle piece with my three kids’ favourite colours (at the time anyway lol) surrounding the puzzle piece. To me, the puzzle piece represents that Autism is just a piece of the puzzle that makes up my family; how we see and interact with the world. For some Autistics, it represents that they are a “missing piece”.

(A quick google search will let you read more about the controversy regarding the puzzle piece.)

I amended the term “World Autism Awareness Day” to “World Autism Awareness & Acceptance Day” this year because I truly believe that everyone has at least heard about Autism, even if it’s just from movies and tv shows. Great. You’re “aware”. Just how “aware” are you though? To be “accepting” of Autism means that one needs to understand more than just be aware.

Over the years, people have introduced me as an “expert in Autism”. I do not have a formal diagnosis of Autism, Asperger’s, or PDD-NOS (or any other similar diagnoses that are adjacent) so I’m not an “expert”.

I am however neurospicy (or you may have heard of the term neurodivergent), and I wear that spicy-ness proudly! It helps that I’m surrounded by other neurospicy people because I work with college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and some of my colleagues are neurospicy themselves!

Team building exercise at Meghan's work

Two of my three children ARE experts in the Autism Spectrum Disorder with one having an Asperger’s Diagnosis (even though it doesn’t exist as a separate diagnosis anymore… it’s “Autism Level 1” now), and another diagnosed as “severe Autism”. Third one is definitely adjacent to or on the Spectrum, and is currently being re-assessed.  

Throughout this month (and beyond), I will share links to products and printables my family or other families and friends have used and loved, tidbits, tips and tricks related to Autism and neurodivergency, so please keep coming back to see what I’m sharing.

April may be Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month, but it’s year-round in my family.