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Increasing Autism Awareness?

AutisticBeaut2025

What would you say would be the best way to increase Autism Awareness? 
It seems to me that unless you have been diagnosed yourself or know someone with the condition then that is how you become educated about ASD otherwise you aren’t going to be aware or know much about it, so how could it be increased? Any ideas? 
I personally think that if a famous person who is very highly well known comes out as autistic then it may get the ball rolling and people might ask themselves if they are too on the spectrum? 
What do you all think?xx

Parents

  • I would like to see one of the ‘soaps’ follow the story of an older person realising they are autistic and their journey.

    It could be done through their eyes and  their peers perspective, showing how differently they are treated has never been done, soaps are generally quite P.C and haven’t shown bigotry against an unseen disability.

    It could also show the emotions, imposter syndrome and how their world changes forever, including how their close family sees them.

    Most ‘soaps’ now have a token autistic person, it’s always a young person and normally shows very stereotypical behaviour.

    Showing the struggles though an older pair of eyes hasn’t been done. If done correctly I think it would raise massive awareness.

  • in reply to Roy

    Thats a brilliant idea Roy as long as they're honest and don't try to dramatise it to much. Soaps have done so much to raise awareness of rape and sexual assault, DV and mental health issues, I'd like to see the struggles a person goes through to get a diagnosis and maybe this could be a parent and child story, as so many people only realise their own autism when thier child is diagnosed, it would be good to see how both struggle with different aspects of navigating the system, how children are often offered so much help and adults just left to get on with it

Reply
  • in reply to Roy

    Thats a brilliant idea Roy as long as they're honest and don't try to dramatise it to much. Soaps have done so much to raise awareness of rape and sexual assault, DV and mental health issues, I'd like to see the struggles a person goes through to get a diagnosis and maybe this could be a parent and child story, as so many people only realise their own autism when thier child is diagnosed, it would be good to see how both struggle with different aspects of navigating the system, how children are often offered so much help and adults just left to get on with it

Children
  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    Yes, a child and parent situation would work really well, they could use flashbacks to when the parent was at school and told not to be fussy or fidget and compare it to modern schooling and the child’s journey.

    The adult being told by a GP that they can’t be autistic because they  cope too well, when in truth they  have adapted heavily and been left exhausted. 
    How the workplace seems so much harder once you realise you are autistic. It could be followed for up to a year. It could start in one autism awareness month and finish in the following awareness month a year later. There are so many avenues, but it would have to be authentic, including the horrible bits.