Awareness After April - What You Can Do For the Autism Community Year-Round
Posted on 03/30/18 in Social and Recreation by Milestones
Autism Awareness Month is a great time to educate yourself about autism, spread awareness, and to support those impacted by autism. However, these efforts do not have to end when April does, and can still be very impactful throughout the year. Milestones has provided some effective ways in which you can participate in autism awareness and continue to support the autism community all year long.
1. Educate yourself - You may have heard of the phrase “Each one, teach one.” Once you learn information about autism, it would be a great duty to help others become more knowledgeable as well. It is also very important that when you talking to people that you are providing accurate and up-to-date information. As an educational organization, we can attest to knowing the importance of having accurate and evidence-based information about autism-related topics. One of the ways that you can educate yourself about autism is through online research. Be sure to check out our resource center to discover more than 1,400 resources with a special focus on resources in Ohio.
2. Get Involved - Volunteer your time to further the mission of organizations who are dedicated to helping people on the spectrum. Many organizations heavily depend on volunteers as they can be a huge factor in making projects and events a success. It can also be a fun and meaningful activity to do with your loved ones, allowing you all to make a difference in your community together. Volunteering can be as simple as helping out with office work, providing special event assistance or serving on a planning committee. You can get started with Milestones, as we are always looking for volunteers year round.
3. Donate and Fundraise - Providing financial support to autism organizations can help allow them to continue providing resources critical to families and individuals in the autism community. Consider planning an annual donation or host your own fundraiser as a creative way to show your support. Fundraising activities can include hosting a car wash, running a fundraising campaign on your Facebook or challenging your friends to match your donation goal by a certain deadline.
4. Use Your Social Media - Social media makes sharing information so simple. Don’t be shy when it comes to informing your network about causes you care about. Post intriguing articles and human interest pieces about individuals with ASD. Sharing stories is impactful and allows voices within the autism community to be heard.
5. Spend time with someone on the spectrum - Another way to support the autism community (and to learn more about autism) is to spend time with individuals with ASD. This is a great way to hear first-hand perspectives and meet new friends.
Be sure to visit our website and check out our autism calendar throughout the year for upcoming events and up-to-date ideas on how to stay involved.
