One in 150 children are in the Autism Spectrum. Currently, it is the most prevalent childhood disability, more than Down syndrome, childhood cancer and diabetes together. Given how extensive and diverse the disorder is, it is commonly referred to as a spectrum, where a wide variety of manifestations are included, that is why it is referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorders. The first signs of autism are visible after 18 months of age, although by affecting the way in which they communicate and interact and show special behaviors, the environment tends to gradually isolate children and people with autism making them "invisible" beings.
On November 27, 2007 The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day in order to make visible throughout the world the social discrimination suffered by people with autism, the restriction of their rights to education, to health, to a full life, to their dignity as persons.
Autism is a disorder that affects communication, social interaction and presents stereotyped and / or restrictive behavior patterns. Today, Autism has no cure and its origin is not known exactly, but there are psychoeducational interventions that allow a great evolution in those who have access to them.
This year, Autismo Europa has selected the motto “Respect, acceptance and inclusion”, with special emphasis on the real needs and problems of people with autism. The problems of misunderstanding and discrimination they suffer have become a wall, built by society's lack of knowledge about the reality that people with autism live and, by extension, their families.
That is why it is so important that we as parents contribute to our children understand the reality of children with autism and educate them in integration and tolerance so that this misunderstanding becomes acceptance and inclusion.
Here are two very significant videos for this day. The first is a campaign carried out to commemorate World Autism Day in 2014 entitled “Sentenciados”, created to make visible the situation of 50,000 minors and 450,000 adults in Spain who suffer social, labor and educational barriers imposed by their condition.
The second includes testimonies of mothers of children with autism that touch deep inside. What does it feel like to receive a diagnosis of autism? How is the day to day as parents of a child with autism?
