Autism Awareness Month: How to create accepting and inclusive spaces
April is Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month!
At ACT, we strive to create a neurodiversity-affirming environment, not only in our centres but in our communities. We want our clients to live in a world where they can not only be known and understood but where they can thrive!
This April, we are sharing some ideas on how to create an accepting and inclusive space for all people to be their best selves.
What is the difference between awareness and acceptance?
Bringing awareness of what it is to be autistic, such as having sensory and developmental differences, thinking about things in unique ways and having different needs, is an important first step in creating a better world for autistic individuals.
However, the work doesn’t stop there! Autism acceptance includes all the actions involved in making a person’s world more open, accommodating and inclusive.
How do I engage in autism acceptance?
We can be more accepting of autistic individuals by following their lead and creating spaces that help them to develop and thrive at their own pace. Remember:
- Autism is dynamic! A person’s capacities can change depending on how they feel. We can support each other by understanding that even if something is easy one day, it may be hard the next. Communicating, self-care like washing and dressing, playing, sharing, participating in a group and all types of work we do each day may be easier or harder depending on lots of factors, such as mood, sleep, nutrition and more. We show acceptance by recognizing that some days are harder – and that’s okay!
- Have supports at the ready! By giving consistent access to regulation and communication support, like AAC, favourite items or fidget toys, we show our autistic loved ones that we want them to feel comfortable and understood, even in harder moments.
- Focus on connection! By taking time to slow down and really explore connection with our autistic loved ones, we show that we want to go at their pace and find ways to explore and enjoy the world together.
- Play their way! Play can look and feel different for every individual. By finding what brings a child joy, instead of trying to play with toys “the right way”, we can open new possibilities to learn and thrive together.
- Acknowledge all communication! There are many ways to share our wants, needs and ideas, including our expression, words, actions, gestures, augmentative or alternative communication (AAC), signs and more. By honouring all types of communication, we show we are trustworthy partners and that we care about what others have to say.
When we create a world where autistic individuals are accepted for who they are, including all their unique strengths and challenges, we create a space where all people are freer to be their authentic selves!
Jane Woodworth, SLP-C, Reg, CASLPO
ACT Learning Centre SLP