Translations: https://scratch.mit.edu/studios/35074152/ Welcome to April 2024's Autism Awareness/Acceptance Studio! With this studio we hope to explain about misconceptions about autism, raise support and awareness, and help people understand autistic people better. You don't have to be autistic to join, and feel free to ask any questions! 【 TABLE OF CONTENTS 】 - Introduction - What Autism is - History of Autism Awareness / Acceptance Month - This Year's Theme (Autism and Identity) - Ways to Take Part - Rules and Guidelines - How to Become a Curator - Adding Projects - Credits - Conclusion What Autism is: Autism is a neuro-developmental condition that affects many things, from social interactions to processing sensory input. Autistic people’s brains work differently than the brains of people who don’t have autism. Autism is a lifelong, genetic disability, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be cured! We can help autistic people by including and accommodating them instead of trying to fix them. Around 2-3% of people are autistic, so you probably know an autistic person. History of Autism Month: In 1970, an organization known as Autism Society saw the need to raise public awareness on autism and provide support to autistic people. Because of this, the Autism Society founded Autism Awareness Month. Every April, Autism Awareness Month is celebrated to help educate others about autism. Autism Acceptance Month was a different name later proposed by autistic advocates to change the negative images of autism sometimes shown in autism awareness media. The world may be aware of autism, but acceptance is needed too since there is still a lot of discrimination and bullying toward those on the spectrum. We need both as they work together. This Year's Theme (Autism and Identity): For many people of marginalized identities, taking pride in who they are is really important, as it can often make certain aspects of their lives more challenging, but it's also something that should be celebrated. Our differences - our identities - make us who we are, and that's an incredible thing. Read about Autism and Identity here: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/988998934/ If you're autistic, how do you feel about your autistic identity? What does it mean to you? Are you proud of your autistic identity? Is there anything you wish more people understood about what it's like being autistic? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments and/or make a project about it. :) Ways to Take Part: Here are some ideas of projects you could create: - An interactive set of cards showing facts about autism - Art of your character going on 2nd April, and/or with the gold infinity symbol! - A slideshow about an inspiring autistic person, or an autistic celebrity - An animated Q&A or podcast about your experiences being autistic - A "true or false" quiz that teaches people about misconceptions PROMPTS! to inspire: Rules and Guidelines: - Always follow the Scratch Community Guidelines - ableism is not ok! - Nothing about us without us: Remember to listen to the perspective of actually autistic people when it comes to autism, we know ourselves best. Be mindful of misinformation and misconceptions as you learn! - Keep debates about controversial topics out of this studio. - The codeword is any word that best describes you. How to Become a Curator: To become a curator fill out the form and/or make a project related to the studio. (Example: make a project with an autism month pfp maker or your experience with autism, it’s up to you!) Username (no @) // Nickname // Pronouns // Are you Autistic? // Are you Neurodivergent in any other way? // Do you know any people with autism? // Will you follow the rules? // Also, for our optional survey, if you'd like your response to be included, what makes Scratch accessible/accommodating to you? What is one way Scratch could better accommodate you? // Codeword If you want a project added, ask! Only add projects related to autism. Meet the Managers: Credits: - Intro: - Autism info: - History: - Info on 2024's theme: - Prompts: & - Project ideas: - Curator bit: - Conclusion: - Current thumbnail: In summary, identity is a colourful spectrum of things that make us who we are, such as where we're from, what we've been through, and, for some people, autism. Accepting and empowering autistic identity and ensuring that autistic people's needs are met in a society that isn't always accommodating is extremely important. By sharing our stories and experiences, we help others better understand the autism spectrum and make the world a better and more inclusive space for everyone.
