Fourteenth annual World Autism Awareness Day is April 2, 2021. Communities around the world come together on April 2nd to recognize autistic individuals and those who love and support them.
Celebrate differences
World Autism Awareness Day spotlights hurdles autistic individuals and others living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face daily. As a growing global healthdisorder it’s increasingly gaining more exposure in the press.
ASD is a neurological disorder that has been steadily been gaining more understanding globally. This important day of recognition aims to further increase and develop world knowledge of children and adults on theautism spectrum. World Autism Awareness Day is a day to celebrate the talents of autistic individuals, while focussing on embracing and welcoming these diverse skills everyday.
Please share this short animated video to educate those you around you to understand some of the differences people face all around us everyday.
AMAZING THINGS HAPPEN –Alexander Amelines. (Autism explanation animated 4 minutes)
Autism Network LAC would like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking the time to learn more about autism and by doing this it will hopefully create a more inclusive world for those we love and care about.
Thank you Jamie&Jaclyn’s No Frills Napanee for their generous donation to the farm. As well as Milk And Cookies Cafe for donating 60 Alpaca rainbow cookies as a gift for those visiting the farm this date.
Jamie & Jaclyn’s No Frills, Napanee
This event was such a hit! Beautiful people coming together to enjoy a fantastic day.
Awareness efforts to support ASD in our local community of Napanee, Ontario.
Signage for “child with autism” was installed on our street to assist in raising awareness to local traffic. Aimed to caution drivers to take extra caution, as some children living on the autism spectrum do not recognize road dangers or road safety as easily as quickly as others.
I have been working with the Town of Greater Napanee roads department, and Marg Isbester – Mayor of Greater Napanee in advocating for this important sign in hopes to generate ASD awareness in our neighbourhood.
This is the face of a determined Mom, taking necessary steps to ensure the safety of her child who struggles with awareness of road safety.
This is what advocacy looks like. It takes time, patience and a whole lot of faith in your community.
I’d like to share my excitement with this gesture of inclusion, it has made an impact in my life. Thank you to everyone involved to make this happen.
Here’s what Jocelyn had to say about her experience during a visit to Hickory Lane Alpacas on October 25, 2020:
“I has so much fun participating in the sunset yoga at Hickory Lane Alpacas last weekend. I felt so relaxed on the farm, it was so quiet, peaceful and the animals had this calming effect on me. There were many different animals there including: a horse, alpacas, pigs and almost every type of bird I could imagine.
I was allowed to pet and feed the alpacas and hold a baby goat! An interesting fact about the farm, is that each alpaca has a unique haircut to match their personality. This made me smile the entire time I was there.
I really believe everyone should experience this hidden gem in our community.”
*Hickory Lane Alpacas, admission is free, however, they do accept friendly donations.
To assist us with spacing and numbers feel free to RSVP by email at: mailto:lac.autismnetwork@gmail.com or check “going” on the event page.
LACAN welcomes Sarah Fisher, Director/Associate as newest Member
Sarah has been involved with the community for a number of years and we are very excited to have her knowledge, experience and positive attitude with us at LACAN. Please join us in welcoming Sarah to our team.
“My name is Sarah Fisher, I reside in the Town of Greater Napanee. My son is 15 years old and he lives on the autism spectrum.
Our journey has been adventurous in getting to where we are today. We look forward to sharing our experiences with you, and the network to help advocate for positive change in our community.
We were given an opportunity to work with Queen’s Psychology Clinic, who are remarkable in advocating for kiddos on the spectrum. The continous gratitude we feel has no words.
For 15 years I have worked with the vulnerable persons population. My career blends well with our personal values and ethics. Not only as a family, as an individual.
Today I am pleased to announce my partnership with LACAN as we advocate in commitment to educate the community about autism and those on the spectrum.
Looking forward to joining our community in neurodiversity.”
This year was the Second Annual Autism Awareness Month the Town of Greater Napanee has supported. Our community has raised the bar of awareness for ASD.
We observed diversity supporting posters, blue lightbulbs, radio announcements and social media postings from you–all in the community.
The first step is to be aware the second step is to understand. Understanding leads to education and inclusion.
LACAN’s awareness campaign has begun to shine a light on a spectrum that lives right here in our town.
Check out the most recent article in the local newspaper The Napanee Beaver.
We are so proud of the success in raising enough funds to go towards an inclusion project for the community.
We have been so fortunate to partner with Community Living Lennox and Addington on this project. Barb Fabius has many years of experience to help us get this project right. We couldn’t be more pleased to have their support.
Sarah has been involved with the community for a number of years and we are very excited to have her knowledge, experience and positive attitude with us at LACAN.
Please join us in welcoming Sarah to our team.
Director/Associate Member
My name is Sarah Fisher, I reside in the Town of Greater Napanee. My son is 15 years old and he lives on the autism spectrum.
Our journey has been adventurous in getting to where we are today. We look forward to sharing our experiences with you, and the network to help advocate for positive change in our community.
We were given an opportunity to work with Queen’s Psychology Clinic, who are remarkable in advocating for kiddos on the spectrum. The continous gratitude we feel has no words.
For 15 years I have worked with the vulnerable persons population. My career blends well with our personal values and ethics. Not only as a family, as an individual.
Today I am pleased to announce my partnership with LACAN as we advocate in commitment to educate the community about autism and those on the spectrum.
Looking forward to joining our community in neurodiversity.
‘Changing the Face of Autism in our Community.’ As pictured above, 1 in 4 persons diagnosed on the spectrum are female, and 1 in 66 individuals in Canada are diagnosed with ASD.
As October’s end is nearing, I’d like to leave you with final thoughts of our campaign aimed at awareness of individuals living within the autism spectrum. Although it goes without saying, we don’t need a campaign to spread awareness, however it has provided a great opportunity to engage with local businesses, media and residents who may not have been aware of autism and how greatly it affects our community every day.
I’ve had a chance over the last few weeks to reflect on the many achievements our community has brought forth in this short month.
The Morningstar Mission has continued to serve hot meals for many individuals in our community who otherwise would not have seen a warm meal over the holidays and beyond.
The list of volunteers who cook, package and deliver these meals is never short of volunteers, which is heartwarming.
I have observed our community working tirelessly to social distance and endeavour to remain close to their friends during these challenging times. Spirits remain high, which I believe reflects strongly on the leadership our community is providing.
Our local businesses continue to show us the value of shopping local, which I believe is the heart and soul of our community.
Our elected officials continue to work hard to maintain a safe place for us to live, work and play.
I am thankful for all of these things.
I am even more thankful for community, I am never disappointed with the show of support for its people. This is the Second Annual Autism Awareness Month the Town of Greater Napanee has seen. Our community has raised the bar of awareness for ASD.
I observed diversity supporting posters, blue lightbulbs, radio announcements, social media postings all from YOU the community.
This fills my heart with joy!
The first step is to be aware, second step is to understand. Understanding leads to education and inclusion.
LACAN’s awareness campaign has begun to shine a light on a spectrum that lives right here in our town.
Hank, Alexandria, Noah and Justin are just a few of the extrordinary individuals living in our community with ASD.
As pictured above, 1 in 4 persons diagnosed on the spectrum are female, and 1 in 66 individuals in Canada are diagnosed with ASD.
Autism Facts:
*The 2018 National Autism Spectrum Disorder Surveillance System (NASS) Report estimates autism’s prevalence as 1 in 66 children in Canada. This includes 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls.
*An estimated 50,000 teens with autism become adults – and lose school-based autism services – each year.
*Around one third of people with autism remain nonverbal.
*Around one third of people with autism have an intellectual disability.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the above-mentioned persons because without their contribution in this project it would not have been possible. I believe our lives would be a little less sparkly!
Mandy
Special mention goes to Becky Hinch Photography, for making these portraits possible. By contributing her time and talent in such an amazing way this campaign allowed us to raise awareness of ASD in a beautiful way. Thank you for making our community a better place!
If you want to see more of her great work, check out the Facebook link attached below.
Autism Awareness Month October 2020, Feature Friday.
Justin, Age 45
My name is Justin and I am 45 years old. I live with Autism Spectrum Disorder but there’s a lot more to learn about me then just an autism label.
I have many hobbies like; doing crafts, listening to music and volunteering.
My ultimate past-time is making collages. My favourite collages to make are ones including MyFM radio station. MyFM holds a special place in my heart and I really love spending time there.
Before COVID I did some volunteering at MyFM and I can’t wait to be able to go back. During my time at MyFM everyone was welcoming and nice to me, that’s what made it so very special.
Being able to volunteer was fun because I got to try new things. This was really fulfilling to me because it gave me responsibilities that were meaningful. I love being able to work and be a part of a team.
I have been living with Community Living since 2002 and I’ve been doing well there. There is a house cat named Taj where I live, he’s a good friend to me.
(Community Living supports individuals with intellectual disabilities live to their fullest potential within their community as independently as possible.)
When I go to social events, with family or friends I like it but only for a little bit then I like to recharge alone. I prefer to do things alone compared to groups of people. Being with people makes me feel tired, just being around a lot of people is exhausting.
(Masking is when an autistic person hides their feelings and discomfort in situations from others. Keeping secret what’s really going on inside them to “blend-in”.)
There is one thing I would like everyone to know about me, especially my neighbours, is that I am a very happy person. I’m a nice person and no different than anyone else really.
If someone wanted to be my friend, they could ask me how I am doing. It’s nice to have friends to make sure I am doing well and check in on me to see that I am doing ok, and I would do the same for them.
Justin
Special mention goes to Becky Hinch Photography, for making these portraits possible. By contributing her time and talent in such an amazing way this campaign allowed us to raise awareness of ASD in a beautiful way.
Thank you for making our community a better place!
If you want to see more of her great work, check out the Facebook link attached below.
This group is a parent-led support group, closed to the general public.
It is a private group for individuals, caregivers, parents and caregivers of persons with exceptionalities.
It remains a safe place, to ask the hard questions and get honest answers to frequently asked questions related to autism spectrum disorder and related diagnosis.
There are no bad questions! Looking forward to hearing from you.
My name is Noah. I am almost 16 years old. I will be getting my drivers license this winter.
I have four cats and two dogs. My favourite pet is Arwyn (cat). I love spending time with her because she’s very cuddly and she makes me feel calm. When I was 5 years old I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome with ADHD. If I could explain to my neighbours what it’s like having Autism, I would tell them it’s been hard making friends and I feel overwhelmed when I have too many things to try and focus on at one time.
Autism has also been good for me because I’m very smart and am really good at things that I’m interested in, like computers and hockey. Since we were able to have an early diagnosis and intervention, I have been able to work towards better social skills and learning how to push myself out of my comfort zones.
A lot of people do not realize I’m ASD but it doesn’t mean I still don’t have struggles every day. The day can be extra exhausting trying to keep myself together for other people. This is why I enjoy alone time. In my spare time I like to play games on my phone, draw and play hockey. I have been a house league goalie for Napanee Stars for about 7 years. I prefer to do things alone but sometimes I enjoy hanging out with friends.
Something about myself I would like to share is that I have awesome curly hair and usually like having it long. In a few years, I hope to go to college and have a career in Computer Technologies.
Noah
Special mention goes out to Becky Hinch Photography, for making these portraits possible. By contributing her time and talent in such an amazing way this campaign allowed us to raise awareness of ASD in a beautiful way. Thank you for making our community a better place!
If you want to see more of her great work, check out the Facebook link attached below.
