Autism Awareness Month kicks off with World Autism Awareness Day (link)

to raise awareness that people around the world live, go to school and go to work with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. At UMBC, we works with students and employees who seek academic accommodations through Student Disability Services (link), as well as work-related accommodations via Accessibility & Disability Services. 

While there is a CDC Fact Sheet on Autism linked here, we can learn from those who have the experience:

Melanie Wiley, MUSC MD-PhD trainee, learned she had Autism during her 2nd year of medical school (link)

Temple Grandin shares that The World Needs All Kinds of Minds (link)

Ethan Lisi shares What It's Really Like to Have Autism

Rosie King shares How Autism Freed Her to Be Herself

Faith Jegede Cole shares What She Has Learned From Her Autistic Brothers

Research on Autism is ongoing, such as what Wendy Chung explains here (link), however, like most people who have been diagnosed are seeking dignity, respect and inclusion within their families, schools, workplace and community.  Take a journey with Steve Silberman to learn of The Forgotten History of Autism.

Additional media for home viewing during these COVID-19 Stay at Home Days include:  Please Stand By, My Name is Khan, Temple Grandin, The Imitation Game, A Brilliant Young Mind, Rain Man, Ocean Heaven, The Lighthouse of Orcas, Marathon, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Atypical, Autism in Love, The Horse Boy, as well as Life, Animated. Please consult online resources such as IMDB or Common Sense Media for brief plot descriptions, ratings, and suitable viewing ages if there are children who may view them with you.