April 02nd: Autism Awareness Day

The objective of the date is to inform the population and reduce discrimination and prejudice against people who present the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Autism is a health condition characterized by challenges in social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and communication, in many cases non-verbal. But with appropriate therapies for each person, the journey and relationship with the world can improve.

Autism is considered by most modern scholars to be a neurodiversity.

Neurodiversity: what is it? And why do we need to talk about the subject?

You may have heard of neurodivergent, neuroatypical or atypical. These nomenclatures are usually associated with people on the autism spectrum. But they also cover other neurocognition disorders and conditions, that is: people who have brain functioning that is different from the majority. From this idea, the concept of neurodiversity emerged, which talks about the differences that exist in the human brain. Abroad, the subject is recurrent and has become the subject of successful series, but here in Brazil the subject is still in its infancy. Come the Curto News explains it to you.

Autists among us

The multi-artist and husband of historian Leandro Karnal, Vitor Fadul, is autistic and commented on the challenges and practical solutions for his career as a singer and composer. In an interview with UpdatePop, he said:

“The world of music is a multisensory universe, a place in which we live in all dimensions. I make a great effort to understand everything that is happening to me, and an even greater effort to explain. Experiences that involve multiple senses are the most challenging”, explains Vitor. 

Sensitivity and hyperfocus

The musical experience for an autistic artist may be different from that of a neurotypical person. Sensitivity can be heightened by musical intensity. Several senses mix, such as touch, smells, vision, a racing heart, skin reactions happening on the outside, sweating too much or feeling too cold. Each one adds to the lived experience and causes reactions that must be considered.

Influencer Talita Vieira, also autistic, plays the keyboard, guitar and sings. But she says that throughout her life she had to deal with hypersensitivity and “irritation to some noises. She also shares her “hyperfocuses” with her followers on Instagram, which are those extreme interests in a subject or a state of intense and sustained concentration of an atypical person.

View this photo on Instagram

A post shared by LITA (@atalitavieira)

Espectro

Autism is a spectrum, that is, it can include several variations, present different forms of manifestation, although it is linked by similar characteristics, but with different levels of support:

•  Level 1: popularly known as “light”, when the individual needs little bracket,
•  Level 2: the level “moderate”, whose degree of bracket necessary is reasonable and,
•  Level 3: known as autism severe, when the individual needs a lot of bracket.

Therefore, each autistic person is unique! Some autistic people may have hypersensitivity and others may not. Some may be able to hold their gaze for longer than others who cannot even look into the eyes. Some like touching, while others can't stand being touched. But remember: autism is a spectrum and not a gradient, you cannot measure the quantity or intensity of autism.

Autism has no cure because it is not a disease, just a different way of existing.

Read also

3 neurodivergent profiles demystify autism and educate about the topic on Instagram

They were diagnosed with autism and speak openly about the subject on social media, explaining how the neurodivergent brain works, its joys and pains. In addition to helping to demystify Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) – surrounded by prejudice throughout history – influencers help children and adults understand autism, provide support to those on the spectrum and tell them how to deal lightly with the disorder. .

* The text of this article was partially generated by artificial intelligence tools, state-of-the-art language models that assist in the preparation, review, translation and summarization of texts. Text entries were created by the Curto News and responses from AI tools were used to improve the final content.
It is important to highlight that AI tools are just tools, and the final responsibility for the published content lies with the Curto News. By using these tools responsibly and ethically, our objective is to expand communication possibilities and democratize access to quality information. 🤖