Awareness to Appreciation: Navigating Autism in April and Beyond

James Gutman reflects on Autism Awareness, Acceptance, and Appreciation Month, sharing personal insights as the father of Lucas, his 14-year-old nonverbal son with autism. He explores how language creates conflict even among those advocating for people with autism, while emphasizing that his son's non-verbal communication has shown him how "overrated" words can be.

• Terminology matters but creates division—"child with autism" vs "autistic"
• Autism Awareness helps others understand behaviors like unexpected loud noises or clapping
• Autism Acceptance benefits those seeking inclusion in workplaces, schools and social settings
• Autism Appreciation recognizes beautiful qualities like honesty and authenticity across the spectrum
• Lucas demonstrates refreshing directness—wanting only what he truly wants without social pretense
• Avoiding both superhero narratives and disability-focused labels helps see the whole person

Pre-order James' new book "Hi World, I'm Dad: A Journey from Autism Awareness to Acceptance to Appreciation" now on Amazon, available in stores this June.

Preorder James Guttman’s new book – “Hi World, I’m Dad: How Fathers Can Journey to Autism Awareness, Acceptance, and Appreciation”

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Also, be sure to read the blog that started it all - Hi Blog! I'm Dad.