[Kvakksangerne] - Autism (ASD) Awareness

Day 3,070, 10:41 • Published in Norway Norway • by Yanisin

Kvakksangerne (The Quack Singers) is relatively new on the political arena in eNorway. We have no intentions on doing heavy politics. Instead we want to be a cultural party with more focus on the party bit of it all.

We will soon release our party song made by our own Clorofila, the official norwegian elk petting instructor is our spokesman(-girl) and Kermit's brother is our Vice President. What can possibly go wrong?

That said, we also want to raise focus on more serious matters from time to time. In USA, April is the national autism awareness month and Kvakksangerne's Councillor Nothos have wrote this article to share with us all.


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First, let's hear the definition from the National Institute for Mental Health:

Definition
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the name for a group of developmental disorders. ASD includes a wide range, “a spectrum,” of symptoms, skills, and levels of disability. People with ASD often have these characteristics:

Ongoing social problems that include difficulty communicating and interacting with others

Repetitive behaviors as well as limited interests or activities

Symptoms that typically are recognized in the first two years of life

Symptoms that hurt the individual’s ability to function socially, at school or work, or other areas of life

Some people are mildly impaired by their symptoms, while others are severely disabled. Treatments and services can improve a person’s symptoms and ability to function.

Families with concerns should talk to their pediatrician about what they’ve observed and the possibility of ASD screening. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) around 1 in 68 children has been identified with some form of ASD.

Most all of us have been impacted or know someone who has been impacted by this illness. While those with autism may have difficulty communicating with neurotypicals and others afflicted with ASD, we should strive to do our best to understand these souls.



-Autism Haiku-

May not have the words
to share my experience
Understand me still




So going forward this month, mindful of the suffering and struggle of our fellow man, let us take a moment to learn how better to communicate with autistic people:

10 Tips on How to Communicate with Autistic People - Written by Steve Summers

1.
Please always keep in mind that communication difficulties are common with Autism. We have difficulties in reading social cues and body language. Be patient and understanding.

2.
We tend to take things literally and have often trouble reading between the lines. As a result, we may ask a lot of questions to clarify what is meant by something that you say. I have been told that I ask a lot of questions. Don’t be offended by this. It is our way of being sure that we understand what you are telling us. We may repeat back to you in our own words to try and get on the same page as you.

3.
If we misunderstand something that you say, please be patient and expand on what you said and explain what you meant. Don’t assume a negative or hostile intent from us if we misunderstand something that you said. Keep in mind that communication can be difficult for us. Things that come naturally to you take extra effort by us.

4.
Please don’t get offended by our communication style. We tend to be frank, honest and matter of fact. Some people may interpret this as blunt or rude. We don’t intend to offend you by not sugar coating the things that we say. We don’t intend to be rude. Please don’t get defensive or assume that we are attacking you. Remember that communicating is hard for us. Don’t make negative assumptions. Too often we get corrected or attacked by someone who fails to give us some slack and the benefit of the doubt.

5.
Please don’t expect eye contact. We may be able to force eye contact, but it is not comfortable for us. Making eye contact takes a conscious effort. This effort may take away from listening and understanding what you are saying. I tend to look at a person’s mouth more often than their eyes. Other autistic people will rarely look at your face. This is ok.

6.
Please keep in mind that we most likely have been rejected, excluded, ridiculed or bullied in the past. If we seem anxious or insecure this may be due to living in a world that misunderstands us and is often hostile to us. We have to work hard to reach out to others. Please work at reaching back to us with understanding and kindness. If we feel that you are ignoring us we will feel bad about that. We may persist in asking for feedback from you. Please be reassuring and clearly express your support for us.

7.
Please don’t speak down to us. Treat us as equals. We may sound flat or have an unusual tone to our voice. We may not speak with our voice at all. We may need to type our words. Please be patient with us. It may take us a while to formulate our answers.

8.
Please don’t talk too loudly or yell at us. It is very jarring to us. It makes me jump when someone comes up to me and talks too loudly. It is like having someone jump out in the dark yelling “BOO!” at me. It causes an adrenalin dump in my body. I don’t like this.

9.
Please do NOT touch us without warning. It will make us jump. We don’t like unexpected touches.

10.
Please don’t assume that we lack empathy or emotion. We pick up on negative or judgmental attitudes. We know when people look down on us or are hostile to us. We will shut down if you show us a lack of respect.

Please keep in mind that we are all different. These issues will vary from person to person. The above tips are written from my perspective as an autistic person. This is just a guide. Feel free to ask me any questions so that I may expand and clarify any areas that aren’t clear to you. Thank you for reading this guide. ~ Steve Summers


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This poem was submitted by Dorothy P. Hopkins. Her granddaughter wrote this poem about her brother with autism for her school's poetry contest.


Although he can't speak I know his emotions
He's frustrated, why can't we understand him
He's confused
Does he know he's different?
That he's not like us?
It doesn't matter because he is loved
I love him more than anything
He needs to understand it
He must understand it
I love him more than anyone
His smile reminds me he is happy
It is autism that keeps him from communicating
That makes him different
That makes him who he is
He may be different
But I love him


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Often we see a puzzle piece used to represent autism awareness on banners, shirts, pin, buttons, stickers, and even flags. The symbolism here shouldn't be lost on us, but in my mind, there's a second meaning.

It's that autistic souls are still part of the puzzle that is humanity. They're not meant to be cast aside or brutalized, by revered and glorified. Let us take pride in our differences and honor our perfect imperfections.

Despite the tone of much of this, please take it with a light heart, and to the trolls, we'll laugh along, you're playing our song.



Yours in nonsense,
Kvakksangerne - The Quack Singers