Autism Awareness 2018

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Embracing Autism

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World Autism Awareness Day 2nd April 2018

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Autism awareness is something that is particularly close to my family and my heart. The statistics are that 1 in 68 people are on the autism spectrum, so chances are we all know someone on the spectrum.

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We say awareness when we talk about autism but I think embrace is a word that I would like to use. For we are all unique and so are people with autism, they have their quirks and flaws just like any human being and we should embrace and nurture these quirks.

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Unfortunately however a person on the spectrum will come up against life challenges that a person whom is not on the spectrum will not face, for it is a social communication disorder and they are trying to communicate in a world that is largely accommodated for neurotypicals. They must adapt to get along in the neurotypical world so how about we adapt to their world.

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Consider their challenge, so the next time you see a child having a meltdown (or as I prefer to call it an anxiety attack )in a supermarket please don’t stare or judge, how about you go about your day or if you feel it useful ask their carer if they need help getting the shopping to the car.

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How about we teach our children to embrace difference, to ask the lonely child in the school yard to play or to invite the quirky child to the birthday party. For we are all different in our own way, as are people on the spectrum.

They should not be defined by their autism, for it is a part of them not just who they are.

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Some of the most creative people on this earth have been on the autism spectrum. Although it is hard to retrospectively diagnose, it is widely thought that the following great minds were on the spectrum:

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Albert Einstein – Scientist & Mathematician 
Andy Warhol – Artist
Bill Gates – Co-founder of the Microsoft Corporation
Charles Darwin – Naturalist, Geologist, and Biologist
Emily Dickinson – Poet
James Joyce – Author of “Ulysses”
Ludwig Wittgenstein – Philosopher
Michelangelo – Sculptor, Painter, Architect, Poet
Satoshi Tajiri – Creator of Nintendo’s Pokémon
Sir Isaac Newton – Mathematician, Astronomer, & Physicist
Stanley Kubrick – Film Director
Steve Jobs – Former CEO of Apple
Temple Grandin – Scientist & Autism Advocate
Thomas Jefferson – American Politician
Tim Burton – Movie Director
William Butler Yeats – Poet
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Composer

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I volunteer with AIRC Midlands. It is a charity set up to support people with additional needs and their families. I will be giving a workshop in May to help carers.

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With a strong emphasis on mental health and self-care the aim is to work to the strengths of the individual. Carers as a result of their circumstance in focusing on caring for others can be under severe stress. No situation is the same but potentially these are some of the issues one may be faced with as a carer: Battling for supports, health or education to suit the needs of their child, perhaps strain in juggling other siblings needs, maybe a relationship which is cracking as a result of the strain of life, perhaps financial worries, as very often one’s ability to earn is limited when caring and so much more.

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They could potentially be isolated from friends and family as a result of their situation, in all of this it could be very easy to lose sight of one’s identity to stop caring for oneself, the aim of the workshop will be to empower carers to look after their mental health, to create a more fulfilling life for themselves and in turn their family.

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The workshop will be open to all carers of those with additional needs, not just autism.

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I do also offer individual counselling sessions for carers of children with additional needs,

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if this resonates with you and you would like some further help or information, 

please feel free to 

Call me at 0852528201

Email me at cuchulainncounselling@gmail.com