“Open your eyes, open your ears, learn about autism!”
Marchers chanted as they walked around campus with positive spirits and signs held high in their support for Autism Awareness Month.
The Iota Phi Theta fraternity held a campus-wide march on April 11 called “March for Autism.” The mid-sized group was enthusiastic, speaking to people on the street and receiving donations. Some even stood in the middle of traffic triumphantly with their signs in the air to cars honking and cheers.
“Do you know that more children are affected than by AIDS, diabetes and cancer alone?” One fraternity member shouted. “Learn about autism.”
The march continued onto Cross Street, into various businesses and to the Student Center to engage with other students.
Autism impacts 2 million people around the nation, affecting 1 in every 88 children, occurring during the first three years of life. According to the autism advocacy group Autism Speaks, approximately 1 out of 54 boys and 1 in 252 girls in the United States is diagnosed with autism.
This disability takes away the key essentials of being a child and functioning in their environment: verbal and non-verbal communication, social interaction and behavior. It results in the memorization and repetition of words, communicating with gestures and not verbally, avoidance or non-responsive to eye contact, short attention span and intense temper tantrums. They also lack an imaginative mindset, but prefer a routine-oriented form of play.
Despite these limitations, individuals with autism have extraordinary qualities. Approximately 40 percent have a unique intellectual ability in visual, music and academic skills. 50 percent are considered disabled and aren’t able to live independently.
Christopher Bazzel, vice president of the Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc. spoke of the importance of “Light It Up Blue,” a global initiative to help raise Autism awareness.
“This is for the public, just so they can see that we’re concerned and that we support it.”
