2021 Autism Pride Day: June 18 is celebrated as Austism Pride Day
Autism Pride Day, celebrated on June 18 every year, is an opportunity to raise awareness among people about Autism Spectrum Disorder so that they do not see autistic people as disadvantaged but simply as unique individuals. Austism Pride Day is observed to respect the rights of persons with autism. The coronavirus lockdown has been harsh on everyone and parents are going all out to keep children happy and engaged at home. People with autism are often subject to human rights violations, discrimination and stigma. Autism Pride Day and Autism Awareness Day are marked to stop such discrimination.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in 160 children have Autism Spectrum Disorder. WHO encourages families to have an environment, which supports children with autism. Treating them as equals and engaging them in routine activities like cooking, shopping and cleaning go a long way in giving children with autism a happy life, says the top health body.
Autism Pride Day was first celebrated by Aspies for Freedom in 2005. One of the key aspects of the day is that autistic people participate in the events on the day and families share their great success stories. Autism Pride Day is largely a community event with all stakeholders and friends joining the celebrations. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Autism Pride Day celebrations will be predominantly online. Happy Autism Pride Day!