Autism Awareness Month
On April 28th, 2023, the Colorado General Assembly recognized both the Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce and April as ‘Autism Awareness Month’.
Senator Dylan Roberts, who represents Senate District 8, brought the tribute to the floor. After sharing a few words about autism and how it affects families, he mentioned how important of an issue awareness is. The recognition of the autism community and their partners is extremely important as we look to be more open and empathetic towards those with a diagnosis. By acknowledging Autism Awareness Month, we not only pay tribute to the legacy of those in and aiding the community, but also commit ourselves to the ongoing pursuit of equality and justice for all.
Senator Roberts was joined by Senator Nick Hinrichsen and Senator Lisa Cutter. Senator Hinrichsen began his tribute to Autism Awareness Month by sharing with the chamber that his son is on the autism spectrum. He described the testing process and how his family grappled with the diagnosis initially. After being told that his son, Noel, would be formally diagnosed with autism, the senator and his wife knew that they had a long journey ahead of them. The last 10 years with their son has been magical, challenging, and extremely rewarding as they learned more and more about the autism community.
Senator Hinrichsen ended his speech by describing just how proud he was of his son and the accomplishments Noel has made through his journey. He ended his speaking time by saying, “Autism doesn’t define a person who has autism. We have worked very hard to get away from the language of saying that someone is autistic. It’s a condition they have, it doesn’t define them. It has been the joy of my life to see Noel’s perseverance, to see his accomplishments… watch him develop into a caring, artistic, loving individual.”
Senator Cutter then stood up and described how much she had learned recently about autism and the community around it. “People with autism are just people”, she started. She goes on to discuss how we are all human and how neurodiversity is becoming a larger conversation in the general public. Senator Cutter is also the parent of an autistic child. Being diagnosed at 28 years old, she describes how her child struggled in his childhood and resorted to “masking” his symptoms so that he could be fit in. She closed her statement by saying, “Being autistic is just another way of being a human being”.
With Autism Awareness Month being formally recognized, the neurodiversity community now has a legal entity recognizing our efforts. It is important to continue fighting for recognition, as this is only the beginning.
The CNDCC is proud of our work as we highlight the importance of understanding and acceptance of different ways of learning, thinking, and working. We hope this is the first of many action items that we can support to continue our mission and vision of truly inclusive environments for the benefit of all.
If you are interested in joining the Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce, please feel free to attend an event or reach out to our founders. You can find our events at https://www.cndcc.org/events or contact us for more information.