Tis The Season For The Autism Awareness Elf

The #AutismAwarenessElf is here to sprinkle a little educational cheer.

Image source

The festive season is upon us and this year, I wanted to write something around seasonal autism awareness.

Revved up and ready to write, I became distracted and after a short gander on Facebook, I came across these brilliant images created by Faithmummy.

Everything I wanted to say is depicted here — these clever visuals are right on the money. So, rather than rambling on, allow me to present…the#autismawarenesself.

Autism is liked to anxiety. Sensory overload and ‘in your face’ festive events, installations, and advertising can heighten these feelings.

No, they’re not giving you the cold shoulder. They’re just really into what they are doing.

Stimming or repetitive activities can restore order and create a sense of calm.

For autistic people, social skills don’t always come naturally. As the festive season is an incredibly social occasion, it’s important to be mindful.

Forget the Bailey’s or wine hangover — this is a hazy head of another kind.

100%

“Diversity is about all of us, and about us having to figure out how to walk through this world together.” — Jacqueline Woodson

There you have it: a mix of invaluable insights on what it’s like to be autistic at Christmas.

I hope this helps to spread a little awareness and cheer this festive season — and to view the full collection, visit Faithmummy on Facebook.

I hope you have a top Christmas despite these strange times and for a few nuggets of trivia to share at the festive dining table, discover the origins of the world’s most iconic idioms.