Raising awareness about autism spectrum disorder
World Autism Awareness Day is celebrated on April 2nd . In the context of the current pandemic, the need to raise awareness about autism spectrum disorder has become clearer than ever.
It's important to remember that this period has seen instances of stigmatization and discrimination against the rights of people with autism. For example, during the height of the lockdown, families faced criticism and insults for taking their children with autism out in public, even though it was a therapeutic measure to prevent worse consequences. The lack of specific resources to bridge the cognitive and digital divide in accessing distance learning, among other issues, has also become evident.
With this spirit, the Associació Aprenem Autisme has launched the #AprenemCadaDia #ConnectatAlBlau campaign to raise awareness and educate the public about the needs and specificities of people with autism and to break down myths and stereotypes that still pose real barriers to their full inclusion.
Furthermore, this campaign aims to raise funds to guarantee specialized resources and services for people with autism and their families and to continue defending their rights.
Thus, given this context and coinciding with its 15th anniversary, the Associació Aprenem Autisme has prepared different activities that fall under this campaign:
- This awareness campaign will feature videos in which various personalities, including singer Joan Dausà, model and businesswoman Martina Klein, illustrator Jordi Labanda, athlete and journalist Valentí Sanjuan, and actress Clara Segura, will share what they learned and discovered while spending a day with a person with autism and their family. In this way, they will contribute to changing and breaking down myths and stereotypes.
- Under the title 'We learn every day: Breaking myths and stereotypes about autism', an online event will be held that will bring together various experts and representatives of families to address the challenges we face as a society in the face of the exponential increase of the disorder among the population, breaking down the ignorance and myths that surround it.
Participants will include José Ramón Alonso, professor at the Institute of Neurosciences of Castilla y León; Amaia Hervás, head of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department at the Mutua de Terrassa University Hospital; María Merino, coordinator of the APITEA service (Comprehensive Psychosocial Care for people with ASD at the Burgos Autism Association); and Lidia García, president of the Associació Aprenem Autisme (We Learn Autism Association). The event will be moderated by journalist Josep Maria Soro. Following the discussion, the World Autism Awareness Day manifesto will be read by the organization's spokesperson and a person with autism.
- The lighting of blue lights for people with autism (Worldwide Light It Up Blue Campaign), at 9pm , on more than 50 buildings and emblematic points in the province of Barcelona.
- Solidarity and awareness-raising actions in schools and sports and cultural centers in Catalonia.
Anyone who wishes to do so can Connect to Blue for people with autism by organizing solidarity activities or making donations to help defend the rights of people with autism.
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