Autism Awareness Month: Sampling Readers' Opinion on Autism

• Feature Story
• April 8

Dear wonderful readers,

Welcome to Friday! The only night for a deliberate long night of sleep. Apologies, if you must work on Saturday.

Today, we want to discuss a topic with you that is dear to our hearts at CTSC - Autism Awareness. At CTSC, we are keen on sharing information with our Akwa-Ibom brothers and sisters to open your eyes.

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened;…Ephesians1:18

Although April is called autism awareness month, April 2nd is dedicated to celebrating the awareness of autism.

April 2nd - Autism Awareness Day

This day is intentionally set aside to recognize autistic individuals in our societies. Internationally, April 2nd encourages people to take measures and consciously raise awareness about autistic individuals.

Designated by the United Nations; however adopted in 2007 and celebrated in 2008.

The theme for this year's autism awareness day centered around 'Empowering Autistic Voice', aimed at providing greater support and empowerment for individuals with autism to lead meaningful lives and pursue successful careers. The symbol associated with World Autism Day is a Multi-Colored Puzzle Piece Ribbon, created collaboratively by 15 individuals, including some with autism and others advocating for the disorder.

What is Autism?

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a serious developmental condition affecting communication and social interaction abilities. ASD is characterized by differences in brain development, leading to unique behaviors such as overreacting to stimuli, difficulty understanding others' emotions, sensitivity to sounds, and repetitive behaviors.

Lack of awareness about autism can lead misunderstanding and mistreatment, as individuals may mistakenly attribute behaviors to intentional misbehavior rather than recognizing them as symptoms of autism.

When Does Autism Occur?

Autism spectrum disorder typically begins before the age of three (3) and may persist throughout life, with symptoms often appearing within the first 12 to 24 months. Adolescents and young adults with autism may struggle with social interactions, communication, and understanding appropriate behavior, often requiring support from healthcare providers due to co-occurring conditions like anxiety or depression.

This is one of the major reasons why every individual in the world needs to have an idea of autism. Due to ignorance, some parents, teachers, and adults have severely punished autistic children struggling with tasks like math or reading. Lacking the understanding of autism and the appropriate treatment is not cute or an excuse in 2024 anymore.

Autism in Akwa-Ibom

Today, at Cracking the Style Code, we asked members of our society what they know about autism. This survey explores the progress made in raising awareness about autism since its inception. Autism awareness isn't for medical professionals alone, understanding autism is essential for everyone in our society.

Unfortunately, many people had zero knowledge about autism. Some mentioned never having heard of autism before, while others were unsure of its meaning. Only two individuals provided detailed explanations of what they believe autism means.

Survey Question: What does autism mean to you?

Utit Daramfon

I think that autism is a disease that makes people not understand themselves or their surroundings. They behave strangely to the people around them and this behavior is not usually intentional.

Autistic people tut or make ticking sounds sometimes to keep themselves busy. I saw a video of an autistic girl and she scratches and beats herself often. She is unable to control these actions even if they hurt her. She also uses vulgar words when she speaks with people around her. In that video, the people around the girl did not act negatively to her behavior because they know she is autistic.

Amarachukwu Favour

I think that autism is a disease that makes people behave as if they have a mental disorder. It is a defect in the brain that affects a person’s behavior. They are not mentally impaired, but they sometimes exhibit the behavior of a mentally unstable person because they usually seem to create and live in their world. I used to have a classmate who behaved this way. He always did things differently to others - making a sound that was not rhythmical with his pen—other times, hallucinating and conversing with someone that isn’t present. Initially, I never knew what such behavior was called. It was after I described my classmate to a friend that my friend told me about autism. Apart from this, they usually suffer from depression and loneliness, and they think low of themselves.