World Autism Awareness Day
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
World Autism Awareness Day is observed annually on April 2nd.
In 2012, the Canadian government recognized April 2nd as World Autism Awareness Day. This act came into force five years after the United Nations General Assembly declared April 2nd as the annual World Autism Awareness Day. Additionally, it recognizes that autistic people experience difficulty accessing health and social services due to their diagnosis.
Autistic people are more likely to identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ than their allistic (non-autistic) peers. Autism is officially known as a “lifelong neurodevelopmental condition” where a person may communicate differently, experience difficulty with sensory processing, and hyperfocus on specific interests or activities. Every autistic person is different, and will experience their diagnosis differently. Autistic people can also be highly creative, intelligent, hard-working, and quick problem solvers.
QMUNITY offers a FREE online, self-paced training for folks interested in learning more about Neurodiversity & Neurodivergence, as well as learn about how it intersects with 2SLGBTQIA+ identities. The course “Neurodivergent Community Perspectives: Skills and Self-Advocacy” provides an overview of neurodiversity and neurodivergence, as well as how neurodivergent individuals may experience the world.
Barriers to Access in B.C.
Changes to autism funding this year by the B.C. government create access to funding for children and youth with disabilities who were previously receiving nothing, but could cause some autistic children and youth to lose thousands of dollars of funding they were previously able to access. Families with autistic children and youth will have to transition to new funding systems, or lose their funding, after many of them fought for several years to obtain necessary funding. Additionally, long wait times for diagnosis through the Provincial Health Services Authority program means that families often have to pay out of pocket for necessary services, or pay thousands of dollars for a private assessment.
Autistic adults who are looking for support service programs in B.C. are able to access Services to Adults with Developmental Disabilities or Community Living BC. However, both of these programs require autism diagnosis, and there is no publicly funded autism diagnosis program for adults in B.C. Some adults may be able to get an autism diagnosis through Community Living BC, but this requires going through long waitlists, and proving a need for significant help with daily living activities.
Community Care
As autistic people face barriers to formal care, we can help by ensuring that we create space within our communities that autistic people can thrive. AIDE Canada provides examples for how we can be autistic allies:
Create an accessible environment, such as having a sensory space available for folks to go to when overwhelmed, earplugs or headphones, and fidget toys
Support stimming, which helps a person regulate their emotions and can include flapping hands, rocking, spinning, or another repetitive and rhythmic activity
Communicate directly with autistic people, especially when they are using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) which may include writing things down, using pictures, or a tablet
Listen to autistic people, and do not assume that you know what is best for them, or that they are not intelligent
One peer-support group that queer autistic people can choose to join is “Chronically Queer”, which meets online on the second Wednesday of the month. While this group is not specific to autistic people, it is open to 2SLGBTQIA+ people who are chronically ill, crip, disabled, neurodivergent and/or mad. (Note that this peer group is not affiliated with QMUNITY).
