April is Autism Awareness Month
Instead of educating the community about the challenges of people on the autism spectrum we wanted to shed some light on some of their contributions.
The future relies on diverse and out of the box thinking and many people on the spectrum have used their differences to enhance the lives of others in the community.
“The most interesting people you’ll find are ones that don’t fit into your average cardboard box. They’ll make what they need, they’ll make their own boxes,” Dr. Temple Grandin
Below are 5 prominent figures who have Autism:
Hannah Gadsby
Comedian Hannah has recently become a Netflix superstar after her debut show “Nanette.”
Hannah defies the rigid ideas society has on autism by demonstrating how a person with autism can master language and engage with others through humour. Hannah highlights how Autism is different in girls and much harder to identify. She is an advocate for supporting girls and women with autism through the Yellow Ladybugs
Hannah’s advice to others on the spectrum is…
“Find your special interest and go deep.”
In an eye opening interview Hannah shares how autism is part of her life. Watch the interview here
Tim Sharp
Australian Artist
Tim is the creator of the character “Laser Beak Man” who comes to life in his artworks and in an animated TV series.
I have had the pleasure of hearing Tim and Judy speak at a local event and purchased one of his original artworks “love life.”
Have a look at Tim’s work here or go along to one of his events.
Temple Grandin
Animal Scientist
Temple Grandin is a leader in her field of animal welfare and a strong advocate for people with autism. Temple is a public speaker and the author of many books which guide the community in better understanding autism. She is an extremely knowledgable and intelligent woman inspiring others around the globe to accept and support neurodiversity.
Read more about Temple Grandin here or watch the film “Temple Grandin” for a peek into her astonishing journey.
Brad
“Brad is 24yrs old, he is autistic & totally non-verbal. We set up this little online shop to help Brad with his life skills & the opportunity to promote Autism Awareness and also have some fun while learning.” Lu (Brad’s mum).
Building life skills to expand future employment options is so important in the early teen years. Brad and his family have set an example of how to extend his skills for him to be able to join the workforce.
Ben Dowding
A local young man (age 13) with a passion for writing with “Hope to tell other people story of my life.” Ben currently uses a letter board to spell out his message one letter at a time. Ben’s latest persuasive writing piece portrays a very powerful message. Follow Ben’s journey on his Facebook Page “Musings of an Autistic”
Satoshi Tajiri
This year the theme for Autism Awareness month is Assistive Technologies, Active Participation
“I’ve listened enough. It’s time for me to speak, however it may sound. Through an electronic device, my hands, or my mouth. Now it’s your time to listen. Are you ready?” Neal Katz, Self-advocate
There are so many ways a person can communicate when they can’t verbally.
In fact we all use many types of non-verbal communication.
At small TALK we work with many clients using AAC to communicate. It’s astonishing to see the capabilities of a person once they are given tools to express themselves.
This powerful quote highlights how much we have to learn from people with autism;
“It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a child with autism to raise the consciousness of the village,” Coach Elaine Hall
Want to know more about AAC?