These Autism Awareness Month ideas will help you embrace and share Autism Awareness and also increase Autism Acceptance and love. Be part of the movement that is showing the World that autistic individuals are part of our society, and although they think and learn differently, have so much to offer the World!
While I’ve written these Autism Awareness Month ideas with parents of children with autism in mind, please feel free to use them in your classroom or practice too!
I’ve included lots of ideas about how to celebrate autism awareness in this post including a free printable bookmark that you can download and print out as many times as you like and share with friends and family to promote autism awareness and autism acceptance!
Celebrate Autism Awareness and Autism Acceptances with these Autism Awareness Month Ideas
Share Autism Awareness bookmarks with friends
Make sure to download your free printable Autism Awareness bookmarks here. Print them as many times as want and increase autism acceptance one bookmark at a time!
Watch some Autism Awareness Videos
Marvelous Max – Autism Awareness for Kids
This video highlights how autistic kids are different but how most importantly, why it’s important to include them in activities and honor their special interests.
What’s Up With Nick?
This video explains what a classroom aide is, why children with autism sometimes needs extra attention and help in class and some of the sensory issues people with autism deal with on a day to day basis.
Nasaiah’s Day
This video is such a fantastic resource for teaching kids about what autism is. It highlights the differences in behavior caused by autism and the social difficulties it can cause. It shows the beauty of all kids connecting through play.
Wear an Autism Awareness t-shirt or give one as a gift
What better way to share the autism love than with an empowering and positive t-shirt?
Plan a family trip to an autism friendly destination
Some of my favorites :
- Sesame Place – in Pennsylvania
- The San Diego Zoo – they offer a skip the line ticket upon request for individuals with special needs.
- Lego Land Florida – in recent years Lego Land in Florida has partnered with Autism Speaks to create an adapted experience for children with autism.
Hand out Autism Awareness magnets at your child’s school or in a play group
I love they idea of passing out small gifts to students or your child’s friends. Autism Awareness magnets are a fantastic choice!
Share and recommend your favorite autism books
- 10 Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew – a simple read that provides fantastic insight into how autism expresses itself and answers why your child has certain behaviors. A great read to share with teachers, grandparents and other family members!
- Let Me Hear Your Voice – a family’s successful journey helping their children using ABA.
Why not include a cute and information autism awareness bookmark in the books you give?
Download your free printable autism awareness bookmark here!
Support an autism friendly business
According to the autism Society, “to be Autism Friendly means to create an opportunity where individuals with an autism diagnosis feel welcomed and where the business makes accommodations to settings which are responsive to the needs of individuals with autism but not at the expense of others not impacted by autism”.
If you know of a business that has gone that extra mile to create an Autism Friendly environment, show them some support!
Buy an autism friendly kids book for your child’s classroom
Recently, some fantastic autism friendly books have come out for kids. What better way to promote autism awareness and autism acceptance than to purchase a couple of these books for your home, your friends’ kids or your child’s classroom.
These are some of my favorites :
- Leah’s Voice – another good book for siblings or classmates, this book describes the difficulties a child with special needs may encounter when trying to make new friends.
- Since We’re Friends – a fantastic tale of two friends. One of them is autistic (Matt) and even though he struggles sometimes in social situations, his friend is always there to help.
Invite an autism expert to come and speak at your school, mom’s group or other club
I love speaking at schools and to parent groups about autism, awareness, early intervention and acceptance. Everyone learns something, parents receive reassurance about the present, the future and reclaiming joy as a special needs parents and I leave knowing that I have helped to spread positivity and autism education. Everyone wins!
Set up a sensory play space
Not to be confused with the autism sensory booth above that highlights the sensory integration and interpretation differences and challenges that individuals with autism face daily, the goal behind a sensory play space is to unite all learners – autistic or not – through simple and fun sensory play.
Dont forget to download your free printable autism awareness bookmark!
More Autism Resources
- Free Autism Resources for Parents
- 10 Sensory Toys Every Autistic Child Needs at Home
- Free Printable Sensory Break Cards for Kids with Autism
Autism Awareness Month Ideas
Which idea(s) will you try this year?
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