Kean Celebrates National Autism Acceptance Month

continued from page 2 the spectrum have been shown to engage in "camouflaging" (i.e., masking their autistic symptoms) more than males. This evidence suggests that symptoms might be more challenging to detect in females and, consequently, many females on the spectrum may be misdiagnosed.

Most people who advocate for Autism Acceptance Month aren't on the spectrum but instead are advocates, parents, and loved ones. People who celebrate the Month wear blue on April 2, as blue is the color of autism advocacy.

Emily Wyskowski, a junior majoring in Elementary Education, is the public relations chair for the Council for Exceptional Children. An organization that advocates for students with disabilities by promoting awareness and equity and collaborating with local charities or organizations finds it essential to support Autism Acceptance Month to elevate the voices that may often go unheard.

"Autism Acceptance Month is a pertinent time to use your voice to create change without speaking over others. This advocacy includes listening to the needs of those diagnosed with Autism." Wyskowski said. "Advocacy helps expose or eliminate discrimination based on disability, as well as to promote an understanding and acceptance of the diversity and prevalence of Autism."

Irisa Leverette, a Mathematics professor at Kean, said Autism Awareness Month is a time for her to work harder for acceptance and inclusion for her son, Darius, and others with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

"It has always been important, but I think I have a bigger job to do now that Darius, my son, is 18 years old," Leverette said. "I believe there needs to be more resources to help adults on the spectrum have a better quality of life."

Aida Perovic, a junior majoring in speech-language-hearing science, has two siblings on the spectrum. She believes Autism Awareness Month is when people join together to educate people on Autism.

"It always makes me happy to see all of the information spread during

Prevention states. The growth of autism acceptance is at an all-time high as more children are diagnosed yearly. This was due to many medical professionals not understanding the disorder and children of color often being overlooked.

Autism continues to be a complicated subject. To this day, many people still dont understand what Autism is, and because of the lack of understanding, many misconceptions arise.

A misconception Gomez has heard is that people on the spectrum cannot understand things or communicate.

"Now that I have had some experience working with nonverbal children, although they cannot speak, they are some of the most loving, sweet, and caring children I've ever met," Gomez said."They might have to be told differently, so they can't grasp information."

For Perovic, one misconception that she has heard is that people on the spectrum lack emotions or empathy.

"Just because people with Autism may not always display emotions as we do, does not mean they aren't there," Pervovic said. "The people with Autism who aren't as expressive are still feeling, but how they show it is different. It can take time to learn what's what."

There's always room for people to be more educated; with the prevalence of Autism in America, it has become vital for people to learn and accept the disorder.

continued from page 4 this time since I feel like there is always more knowledge to be learned and more things we can do, even on a small scale, to help," Perovic said.

About 1 in 36 children have autism spectrum disorder, the Centers for Disease Control and

"I hope the one thing people get from Autism acceptance month is that they should listen to people on the spectrum," Girello said. "Cause they have loud and proud voices out there and were tired of being silenced by a neurotypical society." n audience. Some users may have a larger female audience than male or vice versa, but it helps to understand the type of followers you have and what people are more interested in engaging with.

Betancourt says students should take social media seriously and be mindful of what is posted. Students should post positive images that portray themselves in a positive light and be aware about what interests them online.

“You can have a lot of followers but if you don’t have a clean reputation, well-known brands will not collaborate with you,” Betancourt said.

She adds that well-known brands won’t take you seriously if you’re posting content that will ruin their reputation. It’s best to leave out the negative content, so users can't view you in a negative light. Posting good content can increase the engagement of likes and comments on your content. Betancourt says that students who want to become influencers can do it if they put their mind to it.

“If you want to accomplish something, work hard and be persistent,” Betancourt said. n