This World Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month, Autism South Africa hopes to empower people with the neuro-disability and inspire acceptance too.
South Africa (31 March 2023) – This World Autism Awareness (and Acceptance) Day, which takes place on the 2nd of April 2023, Autism South Africa is raising awareness to help parents and adults who are dealing with newly diagnosed children, family or themselves.
“We would love to encourage you to listen, not just with your ears, but with your eyes and heart, and really LISTEN to what autistic people are saying. We want this message to get out there, and for autistic persons to be viewed in terms of their incredible strengths and talents.”
In South Africa, autism is often overlooked and support is lacking. Autism South Africa is campaigning for equality, acceptance and opportunity. This month, they hope to raise awareness about the disability so that people who are diagnosed, can be better supported.
Awareness of what the neurodevelopmental disability is, is also helping people better understand those around them. So to start, we take a look at what autism is. Over the next month, we will share a series of articles to help raise much-needed awareness in South Africa.
What is autism?
In 1943, Dr Leo Kanner diagnosed the first autistic patient. This was a child by the name of Donald T. Since that first diagnosis, we have become more aware of autism, the signs and the characteristics of the condition. Many people have said that autism has gradually increased. Has it increased, or are we just more aware and more accepting of autism?
Currently, the global prevalence of autism is about 1 in 100 people according to the World Health Organization [¹]. In America, the latest statistic is 1 in 36, according to the Centre for Disease Control [²] and is more than likely the statistic that many people use and refer to. It is important to remember though, that this statistic is based on 8-year-olds whose parents or guardians live in eleven cities in America. The study is not based on the whole American population. So, we cannot use it as a reliable statistic in South Africa. We do not have reliable statistics on the prevalence of autism in South Africa. Even so, it has been estimated that around 1-2 % of the population might be autistic.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disability. Some people call it a condition. This means that an autistic person might see the world differently to the way a neurotypical (someone who is not autistic) person might see the world. The autistic person might interact, communicate and behave differently. Perhaps we should start accepting that autism is a natural part of our human diversity. This does not mean that autistic people do not need support or face challenges. They very often do need support to help them reach their full potential. Autism is a lifelong condition. So, an autistic person will always be autistic. Our goal should always be to help them become the best autistic person they can be and not attempt to change them into a neurotypical person. The supports required by each autistic person will be different. The level of support will be different, and the amount of support a person requires will differ each day. This is not unusual. Even neurotypical people require more support on certain days.
While the autistic brain has developed differently, it is very important to remember that this does not mean the person has brain damage. The brain has simply developed differently. Think of this in the same way that we get different cell phone brands. Some people have Apple phones, some people have Samsung phones, and, some people have Huawei phones. None of these phones are broken, but they all work differently. The autistic brain, in the same way that the phones work differently, works differently to the neurotypical brain.
Autism can be reliably diagnosed or identified from around the age of 18 months. However, research is looking into identifying the potential signs even earlier. In addition, some research [³] is pointing to diagnosing autism at around 6 months of age.
Many parents report that the first sign they might notice is that their child is not speaking. Some of the other signs we might see are:
- Autistic children might play with toys in ways that are different to their neurotypical peers. Autistic play should still be seen as valid.
- They need routine and order. Without routine and order autistic people might have higher levels of anxiety,
- Just like everyone expresses emotions, so do autistic children. These emotions might come across as extreme to neurotypical people,
- The world might be overwhelming due to sensory differences:
⋅ Sounds might be too much
⋅ Lights might be too bright
⋅ Might be a fussy eater - Autistic people might see the detail in objects. They might look very closely at toys or objects.
- They may appear to have difficulty understanding dangerous situations and may need more support.
- Autistic people might communicate differently. Some autistic children do not speak, some children might have a few words, and some children might have a better vocabulary than others of the same age.
- Autistic people may have intense interests which bring them joy.
- They may have repetitive movements or things that they say. These are called stims and will often help with regulation or focus.
- Autistic people may need movement for regulation and learning.
- Sensory overload or too much information could lead to a meltdown.
Autistic people, just like neurotypical people, also have strengths and these might include some of the following:
- High motivation and focus in their area of interest
- Excellent visual memory
- Logical and detailed thinkers
- Good observational skills
- Honesty
- Unique thought processes
- Creativity
- Accepting of others who are different
Most importantly, when we speak, interact or work with autistic people we always need to presume competence and accept autistic people for the wonderful human beings that they are.
“If you would like more information, or think that someone in your family might be autistic, whether a child or an adult, please feel free to contact us on 011 484 9909 or email info@autismsouthafrica.org“
“Please also take a look at our Practical Guide to Autism, where you will find loads more information on autism.”
You can find the guide here. You can find out more about the organisation via the website here and support them in their efforts to make a difference.
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