This blog is about national autism acceptance month and comes in a timely manner at the beginning of the month. 

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological difference that affects communication, social interactions, and behaviour. However, no two autistic individuals are the same. Some may have heightened sensory sensitivities, while others excel in specific skills like pattern recognition or problem-solving. The key is recognizing that autism is not a disability—it’s a different ability.

ASD is becoming more understood and talked about in contemporary society. This is a great start and months like these also bring ASD into discussion. There are a few things that I would like to talk about in this blog. 

Firstly, I want to talk about an interaction that I had with an autistic student. The student was from a different department and came to ask me where a room was. It was at the beginning of term and this was clearly a new student trying to settle into university life. I explained where the room was and this then led onto her explaining that she felt quite overwhelmed being in the classroom, and was a little scared to go back. The lecturer had encouraged her to join but she was unsure as it was a lot of information to take in. I explained to the student that if she felt able, she should definitely try to return to the class to see if she could get something out of it. I also suggested she have a further conversation with the module lead to see if there was anything else that could be done to support her. During the conversation it was clear that the student was feeling overwhelmed in part with interacting with myself in general. I could see that she was trying to regulate herself and had started to stim (this generally consists of repetitive movements, sounds, or actions that help to regulate or soothe the individual but this is not an exhaustive list) by squeezing a stress ball and then tapping herself on the head with it. It is examples like this that really highlight how every day conversations, interactions and experiences can really be challenging for individuals on the autistic spectrum. I must say that I felt honoured she was able to confide in me and also explain that she had autism. Individuals should be able to explain how they process things in a different way in order to get further support, and they should not feel any shame or judgement in doing so. As a university, and as a society more broadly, it’s important to create the safe spaces where conversations can be had and support can be provided.

Another example I would like to provide came about after watching a short clip from Survivor that has recently gone viral. In this TV show, individuals compete with each other in order to walk away with a cash prize. It can involve deceit and selfish actions in order to walk away victorious. One contestant, Eva Erickson, felt able to disclose her autism to a trusted teammate, Joe Hunter. In return, he explained how glad he was that she felt safe enough to confide in him and vowed that he would support her through the rest of the competition. Later on there was a task where Eva was struggling to complete it; she became visibly frustrated and overwhelmed towards the end. Despite feeling this way, she managed to compose herself enough to complete the task ahead of the other individual. This shows immense courage, strength, and resilience to be able to do this despite being overloaded in terms of the environment she was in. The second part of the video that was powerful and moving showed the aftermath. After the task Eva began to cry uncontrollably and scream as a result of being completely overwhelmed by the task she had just completed. Joe, who she had confided in, now on a competing team, never took his eyes off her and you could see and feel how intensely he felt her struggle, and at the same time wanted to support her. The presenter at this point asked him if he wanted to go over and give her a hug and with no hesitation he agreed, went over to give her a hug and helped her to regulate. In her earlier discussions with him she had told him that when she gets overwhelmed and has episodes, she needs somebody to give her hands a squeeze and help to calm her down. This is exactly what he did and he helped to regulate her until she had regained composure and was able to carry on. It was such a powerful moment that demonstrates the importance of compassion, the importance of understanding others needs, and also the importance of being selfless sometimes when others are in need. Individuals within society can support those with autism in the same way. If you haven’t seen the clip already I urge you to watch it, the clip can be found here and here.

Lastly, it was great to see a large display of colourful umbrellas in central Milton Keynes in support and recognition of neurodiversity as well as stalls and events. 

The take away message from this blog is the following: 

• Become more aware about neurodiversity and autism; 
• Become more aware of the ways in which you can support individuals with autism, creating a positive sensory space for them; 
• Advocate for changes within society in order to create more support for those of autism whether that be in schools, in the workplace, healthcare, the criminal justice system and other aspects of society.

We can all do our bit, so use this month to become more aware of ASD and the ways in which some individuals experience the world. Find out what you can do and implement it throughout the year rather than just for the month.