ATLANTA — The month of April is when those within the community celebrate Autism Awareness Month. Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center believes that awareness is not enough for how prevalent the Autism community is.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological development disorder that can cause social, communication and behavioral challenges. According to Hopebridge, 1 in every 44 kids have ASD, and to highlight and celebrate every kid in this community, the therapy center has created a new term for April, and they’re calling it A4.
Sarah McClary is a Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA) at Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center and she explained exactly what A4 means.
“Our A4 is not only autism awareness, but acceptance and also advocacy, because we feel like it needs to go past just being aware, learning the signs and symptoms, knowing that there is this diagnosis of autism. But what do we do when we know about it?,” she said.
Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center
McClary is also a parent to a child with ASD. She believes April is also a time when those who might just be coming into the community, can have their voices heard, find resources and people that will help them through challenges.
“Oftentimes, at least in my personal experience, receiving an autism diagnosis feels sad. But seven years into it, I can tell you right now that that autism diagnosis, what that means for you is the resources and help and communities of people who understand what your life is like and can help you on the hardest stage,” she said.
While the new A4 term will not interfere with services provided to patients at Hopebridge, it will allow the center to focus on other initiatives to promote A4 which include:
- Emphasizing the importance of early intervention and early identification of ASD in children through continued clinical advancement.
- Hosting local first responder days to familiarize autistic children with emergency workers in their community.
- A company-wide spirit week and TikTok contest.
- Spearheading advocacy efforts through international clinical research and national policy advancement.
- Strategic expansion efforts that target underserved areas and provide needed support for the autism community.
For those who might not be associated with the Autism community directly but want to share in the celebration of Autism Awareness, Acceptance and Advocacy Month, McClary has a couple of easy ways people can get involved.
“I think taking some time to read about autism might be helpful,'' McClary said. “They only want to be accepted just the way that they are, even through their differences, so I think that's important to teach those things in families, in classrooms and communities, to celebrate people's differences.”
And finally, McClary said don’t be afraid to be out-of-the-box.
“Get to know, ask questions, and don't be afraid to look silly or engage with them in a unique way, because that might be what they need,” she said.