April is known as Autism Awareness Month, including April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day (link).   In listening to many within the Autism community - there is a call for media to move from using awareness to “acceptance” this year to foster change and inclusivity for those affected by autism – read more about it from the Autism Society here.  Information on What is Autism is linked here.

People of all identities around the world live, go to school and go to work with the neurodiversity that Autism brings to a world, often with struggle and difficulty. UMBC's students, faculty, staff, and visitors have this neurodiversity as well.  While many learn and work well with best practices and accessible design,  students (both undergraduate and graduate), as well as faculty and staff who experience disability with a diagnosed health condition (which includes autism) may seek accommodations through Student Disability Services (link) for academic programs, as well as work-related accommodations via Accessibility & Disability Services. 

UMBC is not unique with inclusion, accessibility and accommodation of people with autism on the job- some employers have specialized programs including Freddie Mac (link), Microsoft (link), as well as Ernst & Young, in addition to requesting job accommodations generally. Symone, an adult with autism, was interviewed by Ask a Manager’s Alison Green about her work experience at a majority-autistic company (link) and reviews several modifications to the hiring process that provide disability-friendly solutions for Autistic job seekers.

Other Autistic adults share their stories:

Research on Autism is ongoing, such as what Wendy Chung explains here (link), however, like most people. those who have been diagnosed or identify as Autistic* are seeking dignity, understanding, respect and inclusion within their families, schools, workplace and community - not a "cure".  Take a journey with Steve Silberman to learn of The Forgotten History of Autism. He went on to write NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity - the future is inclusive of Autism Women & Non-Binary Network and the voices within All The Weight of Our Dreams: On Living with Racialized Autism.

For more reading - there are many, many books (memoirs, non-fiction and fiction) by Actually Autistic authors (link).  Most recently the 28 essays within Sincerely, Your Autistic Child share insight for parents and those who love Autistic children from those with lived experience. 

Additional Autism-focused media include:  Everything's Going to Be Okay, Please Stand By, My Name is Khan, Temple Grandin, The Imitation Game, A Brilliant Young Mind, Rain Man, Ocean Heaven, The Lighthouse of Orcas, Marathon, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Atypical, Autism in Love, The Horse Boy, as well as Life, Animated.  Many are available through UMBC's library and public library options.

*The Autistic community is not a monolith  - it's important to respect how people individually self-identify.

Autism Awareness Month kicks off with World Autism Awareness Day (link)

to raise awareness that people around the world live, go to school and go to work with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. At UMBC, we works with students and employees who seek academic accommodations through Student Disability Services (link), as well as work-related accommodations via Accessibility & Disability Services. We are not unique, and some employers have specialized programs including Freddie Mac (link), Microsoft (link), as well as Ernst & Young, in addition to requesting job accommodations generally.

While there is a CDC Fact Sheet on Autism linked here, we can take note of UMBC alum Melanie Wiley's journey from diagnosis during medical school to Autism Advocate (link) and  from those who have the experience:

Temple Grandin shares that The World Needs All Kinds of Minds (link)

Ethan Lisi shares What It's Really Like to Have Autism

Rosie King shares How Autism Freed Her to Be Herself

Faith Jegede Cole shares What She Has Learned From Her Autistic Brothers

Research on Autism is ongoing, such as what Wendy Chung explains here (link), however, like most people who have been diagnosed are seeking dignity, respect and inclusion within their families, schools, workplace and community.  Take a journey with Steve Silberman to learn of The Forgotten History of Autism.

Additional Autism-focused media for home viewing during these COVID-19 Stay at Home Days include:  Please Stand By, My Name is Khan, Temple Grandin, The Imitation Game, A Brilliant Young Mind, Rain Man, Ocean Heaven, The Lighthouse of Orcas, Marathon, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Atypical, Autism in Love, The Horse Boy, as well as Life, Animated. Please consult online resources such as IMDB or Common Sense Media for brief plot descriptions, ratings, and suitable viewing ages if there are children who may view them with you.

Diagnosed four years ago, Greta Thunberg has not let autism slow her down in her advocacy for people around the world to do their part in slowing down, or indeed ending, climate change.  She has organized student strikes, addressed Swedish Parliament, sailed across the Atlantic on a carbon-neutral sailboat, and most recently spoken in front of the U.S. House of Representatives and the United Nations.  Her ability to raise awareness about acting responsibly to end climate change has been very, very successful.  Additionally, her experience has also demonstrated possibility to others with autism and disability, as representation matters, not just during Disability Awareness Month, which starts tomorrow. Learn more about her work here:

Greta's global quest continues the legacy of people with a disabilities making the most of their circumstances, standing up and speaking up for initiatives that benefit communities, nations, and the world. Below are links to people with disabilities whose focus on ability has made a difference:

Helen Keller: avoiding war and preserving peace

Stella Young:  on respect and avoiding Inspiration Porn

ADAPT has spoken up for affordable health care and Medicaid

Senator Tammy Duckworth: preserving the ADA 

The United Nations has declared April 2nd World Autism Awareness Day, and with its prevalence - which was recently updated by the CDC to occurring in 1 in 59 live births in the United States - UMBC has plenty to celebrate among 14,000 students and ~3,000 employees.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disability; signs typically appear in early childhood and affect a person's ability to communicate and interact with others to varying degrees. ASD is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum condition".  There is no known single cause of autism, and early intervention leads to significantly improved outcomes.  Some of the associated behaviors include delayed learning of language; difficulty making eye contact or holding a conversation; difficulty with executive functioning, which relates to reasoning and planning; narrow, intense interests; poor motor skills and sensory sensitivities.  It bears repeating that a person on the spectrum might follow many of these behaviors, or just a few, or be subject to additional diagnostic criteria. The diagnosis is based on the totality of behaviors and their severity*.

What can you do if someone discloses that they have autism?

• Don't jump to conclusions or make assumptions about what the individual's particular challenges related to autism may or may not be.  Every individual on the autism spectrum is different
• Listen for why they might be disclosing to you.  They may only want to be better understood. If they have academic concerns related to their autism, they can work with Student Disability Services for specialized support, beyond existing resources for all students like the Learning Resource Center.  For campus work concerns beyond what Human Resources routinely covers, the Employee Accommodation Request process begins online.
• Consider your role when information is shared with you.  As a peer, friend or colleague, ask them before disclosing to others.  As a supervisor, you might have a more nuanced discussion about if and how they might want the information shared with others if they are not requesting an accommodation.
• If you are unfamiliar with autism, learn more about it**.

Individuals with autism are a reservoir of talent, and UMBC's community is enhanced by the inclusion of people who are known to be highly analytical, very focused and very task-oriented.  Dan Ackyroyd turned his youthful focus on law enforcement and the supernatural into the screenplay for Ghostbusters.  What will the rising tide of Autism Awareness bring with the next generation?

Feel free to extend the celebration by exploring the following links:

**Some reading

(*)Autism Society

**Some Viewing

Temple Grandin: The World Needs All Kinds of Minds 

More locally, we have a student forming a self-advocacy group.  If you are interested in connecting, stop by Student Disability Services in Math/Psych 212 for a flyer or email slazar@umbc.edu for contact information.