April 2021: Raising Awareness
April is a month dedicated to raising awareness about many different important topics. Three of these are Autism Acceptance, Child Abuse Prevention and Sexual Assault Awareness.
Autism Acceptance Month
National Autism Acceptance Month has long been known as National Autism Awareness Month. In early March 2021, the Autism Society of America announced a formal shift between “Awareness” to “Acceptance” for their April national campaign. The change, they write, “aims to foster acceptance to ignite change through improved support and opportunities in education, employment, accessible housing, affordable health care and comprehensive longterm services.”
National Autism Acceptance Month 2021’s campaign focuses on
Celebrating Differences, which endeavors to build better awareness of the signs, symptoms and realities of autism. Through providing information and resources for communities around the country, the “Celebrate Differences” campaign promotes awareness and acceptance, as well as encourages and empowers inclusivity in everyday life.
The prevalence of autism in the US, the Autism Society writes, has risen from 1 in 125 children in 2010 to 1 in 59 in 2020. This change has motivated them to further increase awareness and resources, as well as build more partnerships in communities through businesses and organizations to build inclusive experiences.
On April 2nd, World Autism Awareness Day will be observed around the globe, with hundreds of thousands of landmarks, homes, buildings and communities “Light[ing] it Up Blue” to recognize and celebrate individuals with autism and those who love and support them.
As the world remains in an unprecedented time of crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic, parents, caregivers and others supporting autistic individuals are facing ever-increasing challenges.
“After a challenging year, I’m issuing a call to action for establishing a multi-disciplinary standard of care for appropriately supporting the medical needs of individuals with autism,” Stephen Edelson, Executive Director at the Autism Research Institute says. “We are hopeful for brighter days ahead
as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to be addressed and remain committed to supporting the health and well-being of people affected by autism through innovative research and impactful education.”
Dr. Stephen Shore, an autistic individual who is a professor of special education at Adelphi University in Boston, along with many other experts have been speaking out about the importance of raising autism awareness—especially now.
“Due to COVID-19, the world as we know it has been turned upside down,” he says. “Children and families have been significantly impacted worldwide and
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millions of parents are suddenly scrambling to keep up with homeschooling. For the autism community, this crisis has caused significant disruption to children’s therapy routines, which are a vital part of their development, and this can result in severe anxiety and behavioral issues. Support for parents and caregivers of autistic children is critical in this time of need.”
What Can You Do?
•Wear Blue: Buildings and landmarks all over the world will light up blue to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day (which is April 2nd). You can help spread awareness by wearing blue on April 2nd and every day this month. Share a picture of your blue attire on social media to spread the word.
•Visit autism-society. org to learn more.
Child Abuse Prevention Month
Wearing blue is also a way to show support for children and families during National Child Abuse Prevention Month (NCAPM), sending the message that “everyone plays a role in making
great childhoods happen.”
Every April, NCAPM elevates the importance of recognizing warning signs of abuse and preventative strategies to help protect the vulnerable, as well as raise awareness of the prevalence of child abuse across the nation. This past year especially, the challenges of COVID-19’s impact on schools, childcare facilities and employment has led to increased social isolation—and that comes with uncertainty, anxiety, stress and frustration in each household. The pandemic has also made it more difficult for childcare providers, healthcare professionals, law enforcement and educator—the most common reporters of child abuse and neglect—to recognize signs of abuse, because of social distancing and stay-at-home measures.
“During the month of April,” ChildWelfare. gov says, “we recognize NCAPM and the importance of communities working together to help families thrive and prevent child maltreatment.”
In 2019, approximately 2 million children received prevention services
provided or funded by state and local CPS agencies. Around 1.3 million children received post-response services, including family support and foster care because of needs discovered during an investigation or alternative response.
Through promoting child and family wellbeing, increasing public awareness, creating supportive communities and developing and sustaining prevention programs, we all can help keep children safe, give parents support and reduce incidences of child maltreatment.
During April, businesses and organizations are encouraged to post (on their websites or social media) about the increased risk of child abuse and neglect during this pandemic and include information about local and statewide resources available.
What Can You Do?
•Pinwheels: Place blue pinwheels in your yard or on grounds of your business, symbolizing hope and advocacy surrounding child abuse and neglect. If you don’t have any, consider drawing a few and putting them in your windows.
•Be Alert: ALWAYS be looking for signs of child abuse or neglect, especially now as families are isolated at home and abuse incidents have risen. Try to remain observant.
•Wear Blue: like it is for Autism Awareness, blue is the color to be wearing/lighting up with for Child Abuse Prevention.
•Visit childwelfare.gov to learn more.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Each April the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) leads a national awareness campaign: Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The organization’s goal for SAAM is “for individuals and organizations to raise public awareness about sexual harassment, assault and abuse and educate communities on how to prevent it.”
SAAM’s 2021 focus is “We Can Build Safe Online Spaces,” chosen to highlight the reality that sexual harassment, assault and abuse can happen anywhere, including online.
“As we connect online, we can learn how to practice digital consent, intervene when we see harmful content or behaviors,” NSVRC says, “and ensure that online spaces—whether they be workspaces, classrooms, social media platforms, or otherwise—are respectful and safe.”
In the last year especially, technology has become an even bigger part of our everyday lives, meaning the awareness of all the ways it can be used to bully, threaten and commit abuse has grown as well.
“Sometimes the violence is initiated online then takes place in person, and in other instances, the violence takes place entirely behind screens,” NSVRC adds. “Even though the abuse occurs behind a screen, the impact on the victim, their loved ones, and the community can be just as harmful as sexual violence committed in person.”
With the prevalence of sexual violence in the nation and world, it is incredibly important for communities to recognize that harassment, assault and abuse are widespread and impact everyone in a community, whether directly or indirectly. SAAM strives to bring attention to that reality and provide individuals and communities with the resources and information they need to create change for the future.
“Sexual Assault Awareness Month isn’t just about raising awareness; it’s also about prevention,” said Laura Palumbo, Communications Director at NSVRC. “We can stop sexual harassment and abuse before it happens by addressing the bigger picture in which it occurs. The ‘We Can Build’ campaign calls on leaders and individuals to play a role in creating safe online communities and stepping in when harmful behaviors occur online.”
What Can You Do?
•Wear Teal: teal is the color of sexual violence prevention. Wearing it on April 6 (SAAM Day of Action) and throughout the whole month of April signals your support for survivors and lets survivors know you’re a safe person to talk to if they need to reach out.
•Be Part of Denim Day: on April 28th, wear jeans for Denim Day. Throwing on some denim spreads the message that you support survivors and stand against victim-blaming. Visit DenimDayInfo.org to learn more.
•Visit nsvrc.org to learn more.