Autism, Acceptance, and April

April is Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month

For some people it is a month devoted to building awareness.  For some it is about teaching acceptance.  For others it is about rallying for a 'cure'.  For others it is about building support.  And for others it is about celebrating autism's challenges and triumphs.  It is a mixed bag of responses in a divided community, with  some horribly harmful messages (like using the word "hate")  and beautifully inspiring messages.  It is exhausting and inspiring and frustrating and motivating.

On April 1st, I helped spearhead a fundraiser for a local autism organization that provides supports, information, and activities for the local community.  It is an organization affiliated with the program J-man goes with, and they are small potatoes:  simple events, seminars, and the like.  For example, they are holding an upcoming fundraiser to help a family in the program whose autistic child has cancer.  That is what they do.  They don't promise a "cure"and aren't looking to change the world.  They help small groups of people with simple things.  They hold fun events that are sensory friendly and autism accepting.  It is local level advocacy that I can really get behind.

The Ladies from Salon Onyx

Highlight It Up Blue for Autism was my brainchild:  Get blue hair extensions for the month of April and use your blue hair as an opportunity to talk about autism and what it means for you in your life.  To educate people, to generate discussion, and hopefully affect people in some small way.  My friend Tera and I organized it online.  We got stylists from a local salon (Salon Onyx) to volunteer their time.  We made a Facebook page.  We networked.

Tera of Tera Photography
These amazing photos are hers!

The turnout was amazing.  Considering myself and my friend Tera organized it via email and Facebook, we were both stunned at the number of people who showed up to get silly blue hair extensions, make a donation, and meet each other.

Over 160 people stood in line:  mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends, family, autistics and neurotypicals, professionals, teachers and lay-people.  People who want a 'cure'.  People who believe in neurodiversity.  People who knew very little about autism.  People who live with autism every day of their lives.  People who do every therapy known to man.  People who don't.  The rainbow of beliefs about autism was represented in those people who stood together in line this one day, who laughed and giggled about getting a silly little blue hair extensions, who had their photo taken, who shared the experience with their friends and family on Facebook.  They all shared one thing, though:

Love

Love

Love

They may love someone with autism.  They may BE someone with autism, and they love themselves and their friends and family.  They want others to understand it;  they want to understand it themselves.  Some flounder.  Some don't. But they all LOVE.

This month I devote to loving autism.  I believe in acceptance, insofar as I believe that my boy has a brilliant brain that experiences the world differently and that is okay. His brain needs to learn about the world differently and that is okay.  I believe his path to happiness might be different and that is okay.  I believe he is capable and able and disabled and that is okay.  That is my message this month.  In fact, it is not just okay... it is good.

He is the Amazing J-man.

J-man, I love you.

Highlight It Blue LAUNCH

Wow.

I am doing it.  It is REAL.  We have a location, we have a stylist (with more to come!) and we have a plan!  I am so excited I can hardly stand it!  If you are in our neighborhood, please check out our FB page and join us!!!

So, I have had a few of you loyal readers (I am still shocked I have loyal readers) ask me how to do this?  Since I am making it up as I go along, I will give you my recipe.  Alter to taste!

1.  Pick a local autism charity group.  There are a lot of wonderful causes out there... my take is consider a group that is doing wonderful work at a local level and fundraise for them.   Go bigger if you like, but I love the idea of raising money for the people in my own community.

2.  Find some amazing stylists who are willing to volunteer their time.  Partner with them to get the materials and to set the donation you will ask for.

3.  Find a place to do it.

4. Advertise... flyers, posters, Facebook, etc.

5. Organize people to help run it.  Friends, family, etc... you might even consider other organizations like therapy centers to volunteer their time for a little free advertising.

6.  Hold your event!  Provide A TON of free information about autism so that the Highlighted can go out and educate the world!!!  Or at least the old lady at work who will wonder why you have blue in your hair!!!!

Let's Highlight It Blue!!!

Highlight It Blue

So, I had this genus idea.  Dye my hair blue for April, which is Autism Awareness month.  In reality, it is because I am over 40 and want a reason to do something super funky with my hair.... Cause, you know, forty year old mommies can't just dye their hair blue for FUN.  

Autism Speaks has a campaign they do every year for Autism Awareness month called "Light it up Blue for Autism".  They encourage people to change the exterior lights of their homes to blue to display support and encourage awareness. 

Dude, we live on a circle.  We have maybe 6 neighbors who would see it.  Not enough!  Plus, how am I suppose to educate ANYONE on autism with a blue light?  Like someone is gonna stop at my house and say "hey, what is up with the blue light?".   No, we need something more "in your face".  Something I carry with me.  Something out of character.  

Blue hair. 

And one thing led to another and....  allow me to reveal my latest effort:

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Highlight It Up Blue for Autism 

Creating Autism Awareness while looking Super Fly

Highlight It Up Blue is a local autism awareness campaign and fundraising event that we are looking to launch at the beginning of April.  

The Purpose:  Provide people opportunities to learn and educate about autism through sporting funky blue hair extensions for the month of April.  

How it works:  For a small donation to United for Autism, participants will have blue hair extensions placed in their hair by our volunteer professional hairstylists.  They will also be given education materials about autism, and be encouraged to spread the word about autism: what it is, how it affects children and adults, and how we can help.  We will encourage these participants to pass on the word by educating their friends, family and even perfect strangers about the purpose of their super-fly blue hair extensions.  

Who it is for:  Anyone!!  Old or young, male of female!  (well, I guess you do need hair?)  Let me know if you want to be on our email update list to participate!!!

Wanna help?  Contact me pia.prenevost@gmail.com  We are still looking to solidify a location for this event!  Volunteers welcome! (Super Fly poster draft done by Tahni Cullen.)

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As you can see, I am still in the beginning stages!  In addition to a awareness campaign, I have also decided to use it as a fundraising effort for United for Autism, a local group providing support to families dealing with autism in their lives.  They do education, seminars, and provide sensory friendly activities for our ASD loved ones.  How cool is that!  I am keeping it local, cause you know... that is how I roll.  But if you live elsewhere and want to blatantly steal my idea, go for it!!!  Wouldn't it be cool if there was a whole lot of blue haired old ladies (or men) running around in April?!  And by blue, I mean BLUE!


FEEDBACK PLEASE!!  Thoughts and ideas!!!!  Yes, YOU!