April is Autism Acceptance Month! It’s a time to celebrate the incredible autistic individuals in our lives. Notice that I say acceptance, not awareness—and that’s intentional. Awareness means recognizing that autism exists, and in 2024, it’s safe to say that most people are already aware. However, true acceptance means understanding that while being autistic comes with challenges, it does not make anyone “less than” or “broken.” Being autistic is beautiful, and embracing autism acceptance means seeing and celebrating that beauty.
Of course, we should be fostering autism acceptance every day, not just in April. But this month provides an extra opportunity to highlight and celebrate our autistic students. Here’s how I celebrate Autism Acceptance Month in my classroom and across my school community.
Celebrating with My Students
In my classroom, I work with a diverse group of students, including many autistic individuals. Each student has their own unique preferences—favorite shows, foods, and activities. To honor each student, we create a “Magnificent Me” day for every child.
On their special day, everything is centered around them. We serve their favorite snack during snack time, engage in their favorite activity during whole group instruction, and end the day by watching a short (5-minute) clip of their favorite show. This personalized approach ensures that each student feels valued and celebrated in a way that is meaningful to them.
School-Wide Autism Acceptance Activities
To bring autism acceptance beyond my classroom, our school hosts an Autism Acceptance Spirit Week. Each day has a themed dress-up or activity designed to foster awareness and inclusion. You can find a full list of themed days in the Free Resource Library under the Autism Acceptance folder.
We also send home informational flyers explaining the importance of shifting from “awareness” to “acceptance,” as well as updates on preferred terminology within the autism community. These resources help families stay informed and engaged.
Additionally, our school promotes autism acceptance by:
- Providing access to children’s books about autism from our neurodiversity library, so teachers can read them with their classes. (Check out my list of favorites here).
- Decorating the school with Autism Acceptance Month posters to foster a more inclusive environment. You can find printable posters here. Bonus! There is a fun AAC Autism Acceptance bracelet in there too!
Supporting Staff with Autism Acceptance Training
Autism acceptance doesn’t stop with our students—it’s also essential for our staff. To ensure that all educators are fostering an inclusive environment, we conduct a Neurodiversity Refresher Training during our April staff meeting. This session revisits key concepts from our beginning-of-the-year training and reinforces strategies for supporting autistic students.
If you’re looking to implement something similar at your school, the slide deck for this training is available in the Free Resource Library under the Adult Training folder.
