April is widely recognised as Autism Acceptance Month. Autism spectrum disorder is a highly trivialized learning disability that affects around one in every thirty people worldwide.

Autism can present itself in countless different forms, which is why it is considered a “spectrum.” Every autistic person is completely different and should not be categorized under one identity, just as neurotypical people are different too.

Autism has countless different symptoms, providing unique strengths and weaknesses that each autistic person faces. For example, many autistic people are incredibly smart, creative, open-minded and talented. But one obstacle that is common for the autistic community is called sensory overload. People with autism can have heightened senses, which can be extremely overwhelming.

Many autistic people are not able to “tune things out” the way that neurotypical people can. Imagine constantly having to hear, see, smell and feel every single stimulus in your given surroundings, at all times. This results in many autistic people being sensitive to loud or overstimulating environments. Given how common autism is, it is important for us to remember to always accommodate each other and understand how easy it can be for someone to get overwhelmed by too much stimuli.

Autism Acceptance Month has been referred to as “Autism Awareness Month” in the past, but the slight change in terminology from “Awareness” to “Acceptance” is extremely important and should be recognised more widely. Autism is not something we need to be “aware” of, as if it were dangerous or life-threatening. “Awareness” months are for things like cancer or epilepsy. Autism, however, may be considered a disability, but that does not mean it needs to be cured. It does not need to be fixed and it certainly is not something to be ashamed of.

We all know somebody who has autism, and the autistic community has contributed so many great things to the world, that it never would have been the same without them. That is why autism should be accepted. Not just in April, but every month.