As much press as Autism seems to get lately, I don’t feel like we are any closer to reaching a point where people are aware of what Autism is, let alone be understanding or accepting of those touched by it.

I do see awareness in some areas, mainly the medical field but that seems to be a very clinical understanding of it.

There’s such a huge difference between understanding what Autism is on a clinical level and what Autism is like in real life.

A rather extreme analogy would be similar to this:

It’s one thing to read every book about performing brain surgery but it’s entirely different to actually perform brain surgery every day.

Does that make sense?

I still believe that the only way the world will be able to understand how Autism impacts the individuals and their families, is to share our personal stories, experiences and other first hand accounts.

It’s crucial that we share our stories in as transparent and honest a way as possible.

Autism truly is a profoundly dynamic human condition and no one voice could ever accurately represent that to the world.

With Autism, one voice equals one story.  Everyone’s story will be different because Autism impacts everyone in a different way.

This is why I encourage everyone including, parents, caregivers and especially persons with Autism themselves, to share their unique insight with the world.

No one person can do this alone, no matter how big an audience they have.

It takes all of us working together towards a common goal, in order to have the needed impact on the world. ☺