Autism in the Black Community: Moving From Awareness to Acceptance

This post was originally published on Afro(WIB) – April is National Autism Acceptance Month. It is a month set aside to celebrate the contributions and diversity within the community made up of individuals on the autism spectrum. Nearly 36 years ago President Ronald Reagan issued the first presidential proclamation for National Autism Awareness Month to solidify annual recognition, which had been taking place for more than a decade. In 2021, the focus evolved to encouraging respect, dismantling myths and stigmas and recognizing talents of people with autism.As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated one in 36 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that involves persistent challenges with social communication, restrictive interests, and repetitive behaviors.According to the American Psychiatric Association, autistic characteristics can be noticed by parents and caregivers or pediatricians before a child reaches his or her first birthday, but symptoms typically are not more consistently observed until a child is two or three years of age. The symptoms might be mild and not apparent until a child begins to attend school or daycare where the signs and behaviors are more noticeable when he or she begins...