Autism Awareness Day Helps Family Members Feel Support
The annual World Autism Awareness Day was Friday April 2 of this year. On Friday night, Nolanne Rust and others gathered at the square, to celebrate the day and to recognize those with Autism.
“Today is actually World Autism Awareness Day. So it’s actually a global Autism Awareness Day. Autism Awareness, in general, is April, the month of April, but April 2 is World Autism Day,” explained Rust.
Rust’s son has been diagnosed with Autism, and the day of recognition piqued her interest.
“Yeah, so our youngest son is three years old and he was diagnosed a few months before his birthday, last September. So we’ve actually worn blue for years, actually, with autism awareness on the second, but this year, it was a little deeper, a little closer to home for us with him,” says Rust of her interest in the day.
“Really just getting together. There’s a few of us here that do have autistic individuals in our families. So it was really just a community event to get, you know, to see support and also to spread awareness. Our experience is a little harder, because I didn’t I guess I was a little eyes close to the fact that he was maybe autistic because he was also premature. So I thought a lot of some of his differences in delays were just due to that. So I had no expectations for him, and really just kind of let him do his own thing in his own time. And that’s really how he is and really how Autism is in general,” explained Rust of her son and bring part of an autistic person’s life.
On helping those that may have an autistic person in their life, Rust offers some advice.
“I think I would tell them that it is hard. I mean, I think honesty is super important. And it’s hard. I mean, it’s going to be hard. And we just don’t know, I think as moms, we want to prepare.”
On having so many people come out to show support, Rust said, “It’s really nice. So I mean, it’s, it’s hard. I think that having a special needs child, there is a seclusion that comes with it. Like there’s days and times that you feel alone, even though you’re not. And so I think just having the community come out and show that, because like I said, there’s a lot of us that do have children or family members that are autistic, but I mean, the majority of people here don’t, and they’re just here to show support for other people. And I think just seeing that and knowing that is super comforting, at least to us as parents.”
