Autism and the Advocacy Movement

Excerpts from the Paper

Autism and the Advocacy Movement
This paper will discuss advocacy strategies aimed at raising awareness of autism and all issues that autistic children and their parents face in everyday life. First, autism as a disorder will be addressed. The aim of this introductory part is to underline, not only the challenges families with autistic children face, but also the importance of autism advocacy for present and future generations. Next, a general look at the advocacy and its aims will be provided. And, at the end, particular note will be given to the legal options for advocacy movement and families of autistic children and youth.
Autism as a disorder is not easy to define. Martin (2011) states that autism is “a complex neurological disorder”...

.....gh strong autism advocacy. This advocacy should be a joined effort of many groups, including Children and Youth Workers, and should aim, among other, at educating the public and forcing policy makers to rethink autism in relation to social and employment issues.
References:
Arnott
, K. (2011). Building bridges to better mental health. Education Today, 23(3), 12-15.
Baker, D.L. (2007). Defining autism in Canada: Unfolding the public aspects of neurological disability. The Social Science Journal, 44(4), 687-689.
Kidder, A. (2011). Parent advocacy: The Good, the bad and the ugly. Canada Education, 51(4), 4-8.
Martin, A. (2011). The Everyday advocate: Standing up for your child with autism or other special needs. New York: New American Library.