April is Autism Acceptance Month. To highlight the importance of this month, we can shine light on individuals with autism and therefore establish a more open community. When we accept autistic children and adults as people equal to their peers, and celebrate their strengths and contributions to society, we open the door to understanding, and unity.
The origins of Autism Acceptance or Awareness Month date back to 1965, where an organization titled Autism Society made up of parents and advocates first created “National Autistic Children’s Week.” This was done in an effort to create support and awareness for the autistic community. The week later became a month when another large organization, Autism Speaks, launched it as an official month-long celebration in 2008. Much later in 2021, the month was renamed as what we know it to be now, “Autism Acceptance Month.”
Here at Becton Regional High School, we had a spirit week in honor of Autism Acceptance Month from April 2 – April 5.
- Tuesday, “Autism Acceptance Day” Wear red or blue.
- Wednesday, “Sensory Friendly” PJ day.
- Friday, “Wildcat Pride” With a 5 dollar jean day for teachers.
This spirit week is hosted by the “Unified Club,” a club all about acceptance. Ran by Ms. Jessica Ryan and Mrs. Stacey Oram, this club is active in the Becton community. Club members have attended a number of events thus far with more to come. This year, the Unified Club has participated in a Friendsgiving, joined Rutherford’s Unified Club for a Turkey Trot, took a trip to the American Dream Mall with Rutherford and North Arlington’s Unified Clubs to practice social skills, held a Valentine’s Day party, collected money for their Spirit Week Jean Day, delivered coffee to teachers through the halls and soon, on May 14, they will be taking a trip to Turtle Back Zoo! Making new accomplishments daily, club members are now attending Student Council meetings as well.
“The Unified Club is a place where all can come together regardless of academic standing, disabilities or passion for the moment,” says Ms. Oram and Ms. Ryan, “We noticed that not many of our Special Education students were involved in any clubs or sports and once we saw this, we knew that we had to do something for them. Our principal, Mr. Bononno, got us in contact with Rutherford High School who showed us the Unified Special Olympics Club and how to apply to make Becton Regional High School a Unified school.”
The Unified Club is not the only form of community here at Becton, however, because many of our dedicated teachers work in Special Education as well. Ms. Kristine Gaffney is a speech therapist here who prioritizes her students to “have a voice, communicate their thoughts, and to develop strong semantics, syntax, and pragmatic skills.” This month, Ms. Gaffney and a few of her students created a slideshow all about Autism Acceptance Month, highlighting the correct dialect, benefits of Autism Acceptance and more.
“The Autism Acceptance Month presentation was created to give some of our students here at Becton a voice!” Ms. Gaffney explained, “In my opinion, one of the best ways to learn about something is to talk to people who actually have experienced that event, or represent that population.” She felt that it was important to use the correct word choice within the presentation and in her daily life because, “As people, we do not just want people to be aware of us, we want to feel accepted. Using the correct dialect allows for these messages to be expressed. Becton does a great job already with having a lot of inclusive classes, and clubs like Unified do a lot of events to foster those friendships.”
Similarly, Special Education teacher Mrs. Jahn Maka expresses, “I chose to work in this field because I wanted to make a positive impact on my students. I wanted to be able to provide them with a learning environment that challenges them but also allows my students to feel successful, particularly in subjects that they find difficult. I also wanted to teach my students that they can overcome any academic obstacle despite the learning challenges they may have.” As a teacher in the field, Mrs. Maka feels that advocating for people on the spectrum is continuously needed, “I think we should all continue to bring awareness, especially to kids at an elementary level, so that the acceptance of people with autism can begin at an early age. I think that there also needs to be more support services provided to adults with autism so they can live in an inclusive and accepting community.”
“Becton is unbelievably accommodating for all of our students on the spectrum. The students and staff at Becton always make our students feel accepted, loved and the same as them,” Ms. Ryan expresses her gratitude, “Overall, creating solidarity within the autistic community is essential for fostering a supportive, empowering, and inclusive environment where individuals can thrive and be fully accepted for who they are.”
Students from the Unified Club shared some words about their identity on the spectrum:
“Autism doesn’t make people different, we are all the same.” – Katelynn Holland
“Autism makes a person unique, not different.” – Rachel Chen
“Autism doesn’t mean we aren’t smart, we just think a different way.” – Jesmil Andujar
Here is a direct link to the Autism Acceptance presentation that Ms. Gaffney, Veronica Isky and Nicholas Rodriguez created:
Sources: circlecareservices.com
