Autism DISORDER Awareness Day is April 2

I  regret to have to announce that April 2 is declared by me,  (and anyone else who is tired of pretending otherwise) that autism is actually a DISORDER with serious life shortening consequences for many who do, or will, suffer from the "light it up blue" disorder. Here in Fredericton New Brunswick World Autism Awareness Day will turn the Green City Blue with Blue Lights celebrating autism.  It is a pattern that will be followed around the world as the public is conditioned to ignore the hard realities of autism and will not even be told that autism is a disorder.  

While the talents of a few very high functioning persons like Temple Grandin, most of whom would have been diagnosed with Aspergers prior to the DSM5 merger of these related conditions into a spectrum. are celebrated the 44 % (US CDC) to 50% (WHO) with intellectual disability will be ignored for fear of "stigmatizing" those without intellectual disability .  Self injurious behaviours, risks from wandering,  and the large numbers of persons with autism spectrum disorders are not likely to be mentioned.  The need for a range of learning placement options with specialized, evidence based instruction and sensory adjusted will not be mentioned anywhere in NB. The need for decent, humane adult autism residential care and treatment will not be mentioned either as NB youth and adults with autism continue to be sent to live in hospital wards or at the Donald Arseneault (Restigouche) Psychiatric Hospital in Campbellton on NB's northern border as far as possible from the  vast majority of NB families. 

It is highly unlikely that the smiling, happy faces of those who light it up blue on April 2 will pause to mention that adults with autism disorder and intellectual disability will also suffer from epilepsy which is the leading cause of their drastically shortened life expectancy  ....  30 years shorter than the general population; as reported by a large high quality Swedish study made known to anyone interested by the UK Autism charity Autistica in its report Private Tragedies, Public Crisis

Please have fun when you are celebrating autism as a gift on April 2.  I do not wish to take that away from anyone but take the time some time, some day to remember that autism is a disorder with very serious challenges and life shortening consequences for many.