It is April — National Autism Awareness month in the United States.
For weeks now, I have watched my inbox for a daily influx of emails about events around the country working to increase public knowledge about people living with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Many state chapters of the Autism Society host events to raise money for their programs, which support people with ASD and their families. The walk in my home state of Oregon is April 17 and in my sister's state of Washington, the chapter is hosting a masquerade ball on April 28.
In a campaign organized by Autism Speaks, prominent landmarks around the world turned their lights blue on April 1 and April 2 in recognition of World Autism Awareness Day (including the Empire State Building and Cristo Redemptor of Corcovado in Brazil.
As a sibling of a woman with autism, the month of April always makes me stop and think about how to best recognize it in my own life. The question I ask is, what am I hoping for in terms of autism awareness?
I'm not looking for a cure. Of course I support continued research and hope that science will soon unlock this particular puzzle, which affects more than 1.5 million Americans to date. But when that discovery comes it won't change anything for my family or for whose who have autism.
Margaret has autism, and will live with it the rest of her life. By extension, so will my family. Her life is defined by this disorder and it has had and will continue to have an undeniable impact on my life as my siblings, parents and I plan for her future.
Like countless siblings of people with disabilities, I will step into the role of guardian as my parents age and when they pass away.
So what can I do on this national anniversary to raise awareness about autism? What makes the most sense to me is to renew my personal commitment to continue to support Margaret in the best ways that I can.
This year, that means sitting down with my parents to talk about the nuts and bolts of guardianship and the key factors of stability in her life - her housing, her healthcare and her hobbies. It also means continued braining-storming to help Margaret find a part time job. This task feels much more like feeling for the light switch in the dark, but much of my family's path with Margaret has been like that.
I'll also continue to advocate for siblings of people with autism to try to raise awareness about its impact on their lives as children and adults. This month I'll speak in Detroit at Metro Parent Magazine's "Living With Autism" conference and in Spokane, our hometown, at an event put on by the Northwest Autism Center.
During the month of April, the world also celebrates International Siblings Day. I'll be thinking of Ann, Mike and Larry, as well as my growing family of siblings - the Sibling Support Project, the Sibling Leadership Network, YAI International and the like.
Happy April, everbody.
