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Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a developmental disorder that impacts an individual’s social skills, communication and behavior. To increase acceptance and to foster inclusivity of those impacted, we celebrate the month of April as Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month, beginning with the United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day on April 2.
The word “acceptance” was recently added to the annual observance to better reflect the goal of inclusion, diversity, and completeness.
The events bring individual autism organizations together worldwide to aid in research, diagnosis, treatment, and acceptance for those affected by autism.
In the United States, the Autism Society, founded in 1965 by medical doctors and parents of children with autism, recognizes April as a special time to showcase the uniqueness of individuals with ASD and works on empowering them. As more health professionals become proficient in identifying autism, more children are being diagnosed.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in every 36 children is affected by ASD, with boys being four times more likely to be diagnosed than girls — more than seven million people in the U.S. are on the autism spectrum.
Throughout the month, Miami-Dade’s public schools hold individual assemblies, contests, activities, and themed events. Students share their activities through social media. Every year, local community organizations throughout Miami-Dade County join forces to increase acceptance, which affect so many children in our community.
Miami Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) embraces its families and communities by recognizing and promoting the importance of early identification and intervention through the Department of Educational Services and Exceptional Student Education (ESE).
Our ESE Department provides a wide range of learning opportunities and services in various program models for the more than 8,000 students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. M-DCPS also collaborates with several community partners to increase acceptance and support individuals impacted by autism throughout our community.
M-DCPS works with the community to prepare students for their future beyond high school through summer internships and Project Programs that promote a positive transition to postsecondary opportunities for students. Such program offerings include the Summer Youth Internship Program, Project STRIVE, Project Victory, Project SEARCH, and more.
These programs offer students excellent opportunities to receive job training at real-world work settings in the community across various industries, including hospitality/tourism, government offices, transportation services, and retail. M-DCPS is dedicated to providing students access to a world of infinite possibilities.
Reagan Chalmers is executive director, Exceptional Student Education, Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
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