Autism Awareness Day

Also Act Like A T Rex Day

Today, April 2, is World Autism Awareness Day. Being on the spectrum myself, I just wanted to briefly acknowledge today. It is also Act Like A T Rex day which is important too, but not as widely celebrated. As the entire month of April is about Autism Awareness, I encourage everyone to learn more.

Here are a few facts about Autism.

• 1 in 34 boys is diagnosed with Autism, and 1 in 144 girls.

• About 2/3 of children with Autism have been bullied

• Social Challenges include:

  1. Recognizing emotions and intentions in others

  2. Recognizing one’s own emotions

  3. Expressing emotions

  4. Seeking emotional comfort from others

  5. Feeling overwhelmed in social situations

  6. Taking turns in conversation

  7. Gauging personal space (appropriate distance between people)

• The following behaviors are often characteristics of Autism

  1. Repetitive body movements (e.g. rocking, flapping, spinning, running back and forth) 

  2. Repetitive motions with objects (e.g. spinning wheels, shaking sticks, flipping levers)

  3. Staring at lights or spinning objects

  4. Ritualistic behaviors (e.g. lining up objects, repeatedly touching objects in a set order)

  5. Narrow or extreme interests in specific topics

  6. Need for unvarying routine/resistance to change (e.g. same daily schedule, meal menu, clothes, route to school) 

Capitalist society is not kind to those who are autistic or otherwise disabled, whether mentally or physically. Under capitalism, those without property are only considered to have worth if they can produce value through their labor. According to the National Autism Indicators Report of 2015, “Four in every 10 young adults on the autism spectrum never worked for pay between high school and their early 20s.” I recommend this article for an introduction to how Autism is treated by capitalism - The autistic Marxist: Toward a materialist critical autism studies.

I am on the higher functioning end of the spectrum, nevertheless it does impact me on a day to day basis. For example, I skipped dinner last night because I didn’t have the energy to interact with my room mates after a long day of social interaction during a training event I was attending. Autistic burnout is a thing. I hope everyone takes the time to learn more about autism - we should celebrate our differences.

It’s a stressful world living under the yoke of capitalism, whether neurotypical or not. I have updated my photo website with some relaxing photos of nature if you’re interested in disconnecting for a bit. Enjoy.