Autism, autism spectrum disorder, ASD…so many terms have become common enough to be part of everyday language. Acronyms swirl around us. We have alphabet soup for every discipline from architecture to urology, not to mention abbreviations people started creating to communicate more quickly via text, DM, or email. A relative sent me a comment after reading my first post, saying he “knows so little” about autism. I think many people can identify certain traits that are common to people with autism, but I think it is harder to verbalize what Autism Spectrum Disorder means. Is it singular or plural? Autism Spectrum Disorders.

It is refreshing to find that anxiety, depression and general terms of mental health are gradually becoming daily topics in society. Suicides and accidental deaths related to substance abuse are constantly in the media and impacting many of us on a personal level or in our communities. It is important for the dialogue to continue. The only way for people to discover hope is if we can connect with people, share experiences, and stories of perseverance and success.

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