Schools & families : World Autism Awareness Day ! "Advancing Neurodiversity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals"

 

https://www.un.org/

April 2 is the World Autism Awareness Day. The United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day to highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of those with autism so they can lead full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society.

"Throughout its history, the United Nations family has celebrated diversity and promoted the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities, including learning differences and developmental disabilities."

United Nations

• The World Autism Awareness Day April 2, 2025 theme:

The theme for World Autism Awareness Day 2025 is "Advancing Neurodiversity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)."

The 2025 observance, under the theme "Advancing Neurodiversity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)", highlights the intersection between neurodiversity and global sustainability efforts, showcasing how inclusive policies and practices can drive positive change for autistic individuals worldwide and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs.

This year’s discussion explores the role of neurodiversity in shaping policies that promote accessibility, equality, and innovation across multiple sectors. Discussions focus on inclusive healthcare, quality education, workplace accessibility, reducing inequalities, and designing autism-friendly cities and communities.

https://www.un.org/

Goals of World Autism Awareness Day :

• To educate people about autism and its impact on individuals and families
• To promote understanding and acceptance of people with autism
• To support individuals with autism in the community
• To encourage scientific research to develop effective treatments

The term Autism Spectrum refers to a range of characteristics. Appropriate support, accommodation and acceptance of this neurological variation allow those on the Spectrum to enjoy equal opportunity, and full and effective participation in society.

Google Images Archive

Autism is mainly characterized by its unique social interactions, non-standard ways of learning, keen interests in specific subjects, inclination to routines, challenges in typical communications and particular ways of processing sensory information.

The rate of autism in all regions of the world is high and the lack of understanding has a tremendous impact on the individuals, their families and communities.

The stigmatization and discrimination associated with neurological differences remain substantial obstacles to diagnosis and therapies, an issue that must be addressed by both public policy-makers in developing nations, as well as donor countries.

Autism-friendly events and educational activities take place all month, aiming to increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism, foster worldwide support and inspire a kinder, more inclusive world. 

Google Images Archive

• Strategies For Parents To Help Children With Autism Thrive :

Autistic children may present with skills, talents and abilities that seem well developed in some areas but may have challenges in other areas of life. This may make it difficult for parents So, here some strategies for parents:

• Be patient and positive

• Seek support

• Establish a routine

• Encourage social skills

• Take your time

Note: These strategies provide generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. 

Google Images Archive

• Teachers and parents:

Autism is mainly characterized by its unique social interactions, non-standard ways of learning, keen interests in specific subjects, inclination to routines, challenges in typical communications and particular ways of processing sensory information. Autism-friendly events and educational activities take place all month, aiming to increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism, foster worldwide support and inspire a kinder, more inclusive world.  Memoirs if an imaginary friend Matthew Green https://www.amazon.co.uk/ My name is BUDO. I have been alive for 5 years. 5 years is a very long time for someone like me to be alive. MAX gave me my name. Max is 8 years old. He is the only human person who can see me. I know what Max knows, and some things he doesn't. I know that Max is in danger. And I know that I am the only one who can save him. Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend was the 2014 Dolly Gray Award winner and a finalist for the 2017 Nutmeg Award. And Goodreads finalist 2012 as voted by over 1 million readers. Memoirs of an imaginary friend Matthew Green https://www.amazon.co.uk/ "Memoirs of an imaginary friend" by Matthew Dicks is told from the point of view of an imaginary friend who has been created in the mind of an eight year old autistic boy named Max.   The reader learns that imaginary friends can see one another and that who they will see is what their friend has imagined them to be. They are also limited by what their friend imagines that they can do.   Budo, Max's friend can walk through doors and is smart and imaginative himself.  Those qualities are important to the story, as they will allow Budo to save Max in the end.   "The readers learn about real love (a man lays down his life for another) and real evil (manipulate others until you get what you want) while reading this engaging and truly imaginative story." Matthew Green is a teacher so the school setting of most of this book feels natural and real (at least for this former teacher.  In the midst of chaos, reading to a child autist or not can create a small oasis of calm, for both kids and parents. If the one thing this awful crisis has given us, it’s time. Books and children respond well to that. "When we read, our minds grow wings. When we write, our fingers sing. (...) Words invite us to dance - rhythms, rhymes, heartbeats, hoofbeats, and wingbeats, old tales and new ones, fantasies and true ones." Margarita Engle, in The music of words G-Souto 02.04.2025 Copyright © 2025G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com® Schools & families : World Autism Awareness Day  !  "Advancing Neurodiversity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals" by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Intl Children's Book Day & World Autism Awareness Day !

International Children's Book Day

Margarita Engle (US)

illustrator Roger Mello (BR)

https://www.ibby.org/

"When we share words, our voices

become the music of the future,

peace, joy and friendship,

a melody

of hope."

Margarita Engle

This International Children's Book Day, is the second year of children been read to by their parents and grandparents.  

The world continues suffering pandemic time. Covid-19 is everywhere. Schools are closed again in most countries, kids are at home schooling on remote learning by Zoom or TV school. Parents help the little ones schooling at home. And this lockdown week-end they could read some children books.

ICBD 2021

credits: Margarita Engle

https://www.facebook.com/margarita.engle.1

IBBY United States is the sponsor for International Children's Book Day 2021. The invited prominent author from the host country is cuban-american poet Margarita Engle who wrote the message to the children of the world and he well-known illustrator who designed the poster is the Brazilian illustrator Roger Mello.

The music of words

Margarita Engle

https://www.facebook.com/margarita.engle.1

Theme 2021: Music of words

When we read, our minds grow wings.

When we write, our fingers sing.

Words are drumbeats and flutes on the page,

soaring songbirds and trumpeting elephants,

rivers that flow, waterfalls tumbling,

butterflies that twirl

high in the sky!

 

Words invite us to dance---rhythms, rhymes, heartbeats,

hoofbeats, and wingbeats, old tales and new ones,

fantasies and true ones.

 

Whether you are cozy at home

or racing across borders toward a new land

and a strange language, stories and poems

belong to you.

 

When we share words, our voices

become the music of the future,

peace, joy and friendship,

a melody

of hope.

Margarita Engle

April 2 each year it's the time to read books, specially on this day, kids. It's their book day! 

Print, Prof. Naomi Baron said, makes it easier for parents and children to interact with language, questions and answers, what is called “dialogic reading.”

Any time that parents are able to engage with family reading time is good, using whatever medium works best for them, said Dr. Tiffany Munzer.

More than ever kids need the music of words to submit to the long lockdown without seeing their friends or going to school.

April 2 is also the World Autism Awareness Day. The fourteenth annual World Autism Awareness Day is April 2, 2021. "Throughout its history, the United Nations family has celebrated diversity and promoted the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities, including learning differences and developmental disabilities." UN

https://www.un.org/

Autism is mainly characterized by its unique social interactions, non-standard ways of learning, keen interests in specific subjects, inclination to routines, challenges in typical communications and particular ways of processing sensory information. Autism-friendly events and educational activities take place all month, aiming to increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism, foster worldwide support and inspire a kinder, more inclusive world.  Teachers and parents: Memoirs if an imaginary friend Matthew Green https://www.amazon.co.uk/ My name is BUDO. I have been alive for 5 years. 5 years is a very long time for someone like me to be alive. MAX gave me my name. Max is 8 years old. He is the only human person who can see me. I know what Max knows, and some things he doesn't. I know that Max is in danger. And I know that I am the only one who can save him. Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend was the 2014 Dolly Gray Award winner and a finalist for the 2017 Nutmeg Award. And Goodreads finalist 2012 as voted by over 1 million readers. Memoirs of an imaginary friend Matthew Green https://www.amazon.co.uk/ "Memoirs of an imaginary friend" by Matthew Dicks is told from the point of view of an imaginary friend who has been created in the mind of an eight year old autistic boy named Max.   The reader learns that imaginary friends can see one another and that who they will see is what their friend has imagined them to be. They are also limited by what their friend imagines that they can do.   Budo, Max's friend can walk through doors and is smart and imaginative himself.  Those qualities are important to the story, as they will allow Budo to save Max in the end.   "The readers learn about real love (a man lays down his life for another) and real evil (manipulate others until you get what you want) while reading this engaging and truly imaginative story." Matthew Green is a teacher so the school setting of most of this book feels natural and real (at least for this former teacher.  Other resources: Children's books For children's books in foreign languages, visit Dia Internacional do Livro Infantil ; Journée internationale du livre pour enfants. In the midst of chaos, reading to a child autist or not can create a small oasis of calm, for both kids and parents. If the one thing this awful crisis has given us, it’s time. Books and children respond well to that. "When we read, our minds grow wings. When we write, our fingers sing. (...) Words invite us to dance - rhythms, rhymes, heartbeats, hoofbeats, and wingbeats, old tales and new ones, fantasies and true ones." Margarita Engle, in The music of words G-Souto 02.04.2021 Copyright © 2021G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com® Intl Children's Book Day &World Autism Awareness Day  ! by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.