World Autism Awareness day 2021
There are worlds that need love, friendship, and tenderness. Today we peeked into one such world- These are our new friends from the Association for Creative Learning “Mak.”
On the occasion of celebrating the 2nd of April, World Autism Awareness Day, BRAVO volunteers visited the children of the association “Mak” and shared sincere smiles and sweet snacks with them!
The association for creative learning “Mak” aims to creatively improve, motivate and encourage the learning of children, parents, and all those who want continuous growth. The association discusses lifelong learning, and one of the active projects is “Mama cup of tea,” when moms come for tea and children participate in some creative activities. The association is currently working with thirteen children. In the coming period, they will be joined by ten more children whose parents are currently undergoing training, during which they are introduced to learning methods.
BRAVO always strives to point out the importance of the inclusion of people with autistic disorders in all spheres of society to achieve a better quality of life for all of us!
We really hope that as a society we will learn that it is okay to be different and that we will pay more attention to each others!
What is Autism?
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, is a developmental disorder that is characterized by significant challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. People with autism often have difficulties understanding what other people think and feel. Because of that, it can behard for them to express themselves with words, through gestures, facial expressions, and touch. There is not only one form of autism but many subtypes, most influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Since autism is a spectrum disorder, each person with this disorder has their own distinct set of strengths and challenges. That being said, autism can be a minor problemfor some or a disability that needs full-time care in a special facility for others.
The cause of autism is not known and there is no known cure for it. It continues throughout an individual’s life. Autism occurs all over the world in any socioeconomic background, race, or ethnicity. Boys are affected more than girls. Additionally, it seems to run in families, which indicates a possible genetic link to the disorder.
Symptoms of autism are usually noticeable by age two or three. Numerous research have shown that an early intervention for people with autism leads to positive outcomes later in their life. Different specialists, such as physicians, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, or physical therapists, can play a role in the evaluation process for a diagnosis of autism. These specialists can work together in order to help develop and implement intervention plans along with parents or caregivers. The goals of the interventions are to improve social interaction, communication, and/or behavior to enable better functioning in daily activities for the person with autism at home, school, and in their community.
World Autism Awareness Day
The UN General Assembly had declared April the 2ndas World Autism Awareness Day in order to “highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of those with autism so they can lead full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society”. April the 2nd, 2021, was the fourteenth time this day has been celebrated, the first being in 2008. As you might know, the color blue is often linked to autism. The idea originates from the autism advocacy association known as ‘’Autism Speaks’’. Their “Light it Up Blue” campaign invites people to wear blue to promote autism awareness, and because of this on April the 2nd we can see a lot of blue being shown off. Blue is also the organization’s primary color, and is linked with a calm feeling as well as acceptance in an otherwise loud world for people on the spectrum.
How did the BRAVO celebrate World Autism Awareness Day?
Our ESC volunteers from Turkey are currently volunteering in the Association for Creative Learning ‘‘Mak’’ in Vogošća. It is a nonprofit association that aims to improve, motivate, and encourage the learning of children, parents, and others who seek continuous growth, in a creative way. The Association focuses on lifelong learning and is currently working with 13 children. Ten more children are expected to join in the upcoming period, as their parents are undergoing training where they are learning more about and exploring learning methods.
In order to celebrate the special day of autism awareness, our volunteers surprised the children of the Association with a delicious cake, bringing them genuine smiles and sweet bites while taking all precautions necessary against COVID-19. It was a truly meaningful experience to see the children’s joy. Days like these are important to the BRAVO and we always strive to celebrate them. We aim to promote the importance of inclusion of people with autism, and other disorders, to improve the quality of life for all of us. ‘‘Autism is not a disability, it is a different ability!’’
