Autism like a rainbow and its every shade is important, beautiful

World Autism Awareness Day is celebrated on April 2, 2022.

Autism is a lifelong neurological condition that manifests during early childhood, irrespective of gender, race, or socioeconomic status.

World Autism Awareness Day helps neurotypical persons to recognize that the world is a better place when we all understand neuro-divergence, like autism spectrum disorder, and work to accommodate these differences.

No matter how you celebrate the day, it can be an opportunity to stop and listen to autistic people in your life and the world around you.

It protects and ensures the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities and promotes respect for their inherent dignity.

World Autism Awareness Day is observed on April 2. The day recognizes and spreads awareness for the rights of people with autism. The condition typically starts during childhood and continues into adulthood.

The theme of World Autism Awareness Day 2022 focuses on “Inclusion in the Workplace: Challenges and Opportunities in a Post-Pandemic World.”

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental disorder characterized by behavioral and communicational affections that impact a person’s ability to navigate social interactions and also cause repetitive and restricted behavior.

History says, the first appearance of the word “Autism” was made in 1911 by the psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, who used the term to describe a specific cluster of symptoms that were considered simple symptoms of schizophrenia as an extreme social withdrawal.

In 1943, pediatric psychiatrist Dr. Leo Kanner characterized Autism as a social and emotional disorder in his article “Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact." Besides, in 1944 Hans Asperger published his “Autism Psychopathology" article in which he described autism as a disorder of normal intelligence children who have difficulties with social and communication skills. These articles served as an important contribution to the studies that helped classify autism as a disorder separate from schizophrenia in 1980.

With the continuous investigation and research on autism, World Autism Awareness Day was set to April 2 of each year by the United Nations General Assembly and adopted on December 18 of 2007. UN encourages member states to take action in raising awareness about people with autism spectrum disorder and supports the research finding new ways to improve wellness and inclusion.

Then the notion of autism as a spectrum was developed in 2013 by the “American Psychiatric Association” in the fifth edition of the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It combined all subcategories of autism and related conditions into one unified category, including varied characteristics, severity, and presentation of the symptoms.

So, on World Autism Awareness Day, let us encourage everyone to participate and be involved whether you have autism, love someone who has, or are looking to support a diverse community because you are to take the pledge to help create a world where all people with autism can reach their full potential.

On this occasion, let us remember the words of Rosie Tennant Doran, who says, “Autism is like a rainbow. It has a bright side and a darker side. But every shade is important and beautiful.”