Autism Awareness and Acceptance



In 1970, the Autism Society first designated April as Autism Awareness month to promote awareness about individuals on the spectrum. This year is significant because as of March 4, 2021, the Autism Society made the shift from Autism Awareness to Autism Acceptance. The hope is that this change will empower autistic individuals and their families. To promote both awareness and acceptance, this year’s campaign is “Celebrate Differences.” There are so many wonderful things to celebrate about individuals on the spectrum. One of the best things is that no two people on the spectrum are the same; each one is unique in their own special way. 

Although April is over, we want to continue this acceptance campaign and find out how WSFCS celebrates differences throughout the year. To that end, we surveyed a few of our staff and families to find out and here are some of the responses we got: 

  • Accepting people for who they are and not projecting my expectations or perceptions on them. - School Psychologist


  • Acknowledging differences and accepting people for who they are. - T. Davis, Assistant Principal


  • By letting students know their differences is what makes them special. Never allow anyone to dim your light of your uniqueness. Jazmyn Holland, School Counselor


  • Giving my students a voice by being their advocate every single day!  Hali Hicks, EC teacher Jefferson Elementary 


  • Recognizing, engaging with, and being present with every student I interact with. I believe every child deserves to feel confident and successful.Justin Marckel Assistant Principal


  • Recognizing, embracing, and understanding that each individual student is unique.  I also try and help students build on those unique qualities to help make them stronger and more independent.  Hollie Hutchinson, MTSS Interventionist at Mount Tabor HS


  • Recognizing the unique contributions of individuals, families, cultures and communities.  Mary Todd Allen,  Chief Program Officer for Exceptional Children


  • Embracing the characteristics that make each person unique. - Parent and EC teacher


  • We celebrate differences by building upon the unique strengths of individual students.  We work to help teachers and staff recognize and support the potential in all learners .Jenny Gray and Karen Abbott,  WS/FCS Autism Team


  • Not only being inclusive but being open to different ideas, thoughts and perspectives that are different then mine. We have to work harder at not judging others...we have to remember that all paths are HARD...Gina Pruitt,  Speech Language Pathologist - Mt. Tabor/Wiley/Philo-Hill


  • I celebrate differences by getting a "double-shot of joy" at the most unique coffee shop here in Winston-Salem, Moji's.   Moji's isn't your typical around the corner coffee shop.  It is full of amazing, talented workers with different abilities.  This coffee shop strives to create a pathway of acceptance and opportunity for members of the community with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Having a cup of coffee from Moji's, for me, not only celebrates differences but also supports a local business who is dedicated to helping the members of the community find happiness with every cup.       Ms. Jessica L. Gwyn,  EC MAP Resource TA - Walkertown Elementary School


  • Cherishing each unique child and helping them find their own individual "voice" with which to functionally communicate!  Lauren Strickland,   Speech Language Pathologist at Walkertown ES


  • Acknowledging everyone has something to contribute. It's my job to help them find a way to share their voice.  EC Teacher 


  • Finding my child's nitch and helping them develop the skills to share it on our community.,  Parent


  • Asking questions and listening to others so that I can learn more about them, Robin Fisher, Parent and School Social Worker. .


  • Getting to know individuals, Instructional Facilitator


  • Teaching children that they are enough, just as they are and that they should be true to themselves.,  School Counselor


  • Noticing, naming, and building off of student’s strengths as opposed to their deficits., School Social Worker


  • Celebrating a child’s interest and proclivities, while encouraging them to engage skills and take up subjects they’re either disinterested in or need to improve in.,  Kevin Garrity,  EC-Teacher Assistant


  • We as a family personally don't celebrate differences...we celebrate (not literally) times when people overlook the differences and treat our son with Aspergers the way all of us want to be treated. We celebrate when we see him talking in a group and we can tell that he feels accepted. We celebrate by focusing on the "I CAN" attitude, rather than the "I CAN'T" attitude. We celebrate that we are proud to share our experiences as parents of a child on the autism spectrum.  Kristie Touchstone, Parent


  • By embracing different styles of communication (verbal, nonverbal, gestures, signs, pecs, symbols),  Alexa McDonough, Speech Language Pathologist

 

How do you celebrate differences? Please comment and let us know!

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