Can autism awareness be described in five words or less? These parents try

3. Kevin O’Neill of Autism from a Dads Eye View

Kevin O’Neill blogs at Autism from a Dads Eye View, where he chronicles his life with two sons on the autism spectrum.

Kevin describes autism awareness as “inviting the world to understand.”

“In the hope that my boys and all others on the spectrum to grow and develop in a world that has more patience and understanding with the quirks and differences ASD can bring. To show that great things can be achieved with understanding and support, removing the stigmas and false ideas from society. And having an amazing journey along the way.”

More:How I learned to stop telling my son not to talk to strangers

4. Jean Winegardner of Stimeyland

Jean blogs at Stimeyland, where she talks about living on the autism spectrum as well as about having three children who land on the autism spectrum too.

Stimey’s opinion on autism awareness: “Awareness isn’t enough. Acceptance matters.”

5. Leigh Merryday of Flappiness Is…

Leigh Merryday of Flappiness Is… views autism awareness as “seeing others through different lenses.”

“To me, our minds and perspectives are much like cameras. You can take a picture at the same time in the same spot, but different cameras will capture images not entirely alike. Some of their inner workings allow them to see aspects to a scene that others won’t catch. And — if you are limited in the lenses by which you can take a picture — you will be limited in your understanding of what you’ve viewed. We tend to go through the world like that, without bothering to attach and view different lenses. My son is, all at once, a nearly 7-year-old boy, an autist, and Callum — complete with his own temperament, sense of humor, and interests. It’s too easy to view him as only one of those things – when really he is all of them. Sometimes, I have to view him through different lenses to attempt to engage with him or problem solve. And sometimes – what I really need – is the ability to stack them all atop one another and view him as he really is, an individual with a lot of complex stuff going on. That’s what autism awareness is to me – the realization that the perception of a person is just as much about the one perceiving as the one being perceived.”

Next up: Beyond Rain Man