Original article: https://www.wifr.com/2025/04/03/rockford-autism-therapy-center-recognizes-autism-awareness-acceptance-day/
Written by: Jade Marceau-Mary, 4/2/2025
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – April 2 is Autism Awareness and Acceptance Day; a time to recognize the worth of accepting neurodiversity and acknowledging what autism means.
“Autism is just a unique ability to do things differently,” said Katie Check, the clinic director at Caravel Autism Health. “Something that all of the world should understand is that they are human beings and that they want to be loved and play just like everybody else does. They want to grow up in a world that meets them where they’re at too.”
She says it is important for people to know autism can manifest in diverse ways, from communication skills to physical touch, and sometimes it only needs some awareness to understand one’s behavior and better act upon.
“Read the body language and know where and what’s bugging them. I think a lot of our kids display that by what comes out as behaviors, like crying and/or hitting, but that’s not what they are saying. They are just asking you to stop and they don’t have the language to,” said Check.
”Some kids don’t like the way their clothes feel. Some kids don’t like the way someone is singing a song. It just depends on the child,” said Check.
Check said early signs of autism can be the lack of communication. “Not responding to their name, not interested in toys, in the way that they are developed, but that is also something like tiptoe walking or hand flapping and spinning around in circles.”
Check said the center helps children build that consistency for them to learn those social and behavioral skills. It also means to help parents in need.
“When you have a newly diagnosed child, you feel very isolated and I think that it’s so important that our families have this opportunity to connect with other families to know that there’s a huge community of people supporting them,” said Check.
