April is Autism Awareness Month.  I really like that the Autism Society has chosen to call it Autism Acceptance Month because as much as we need to be aware, we also need to accept the unique personalities of those on the spectrum.

Having a son on the spectrum opened my eyes to the world of autism.  I might not have otherwise realized how many wonderful people are on the spectrum.  And it helps for me to know that someone’s inability to make eye contact doesn’t mean that he/she is being rude.  It could be a matter of being temporarily overwhelmed by the lighting or the noise in the room.

One of my son’s teachers pointed out, “He doesn’t look at me when I am speaking!” and I explained to her that Grayson can’t look at her, listen, and write all at the same time.  He had to look down at his paper to process all the information.  I suggested she ask him questions about the material she was teaching and not be deterred by his lack of eye contact…and she then realized he knew all the answers to her questions.

How can you be more aware?  How can you be more accepting?  Every time you meet someone, don’t expect “normal” because there is no normal.  Expect different and unique…as you may be meeting someone on the spectrum.  

For more information, visit www.autism-society.org  and  www.autismspeaks.org.