World Autism Month

We at ReThink are dedicated to highlighting chronic conditions, disorders, social issues and other aspects of life that might not be apparent in our day to day lives. One of core values is ‘education is self advocation’. While we do our hardest to bring awareness to social issues and chronic conditions that are not frequently spoken of and be a voice for those who struggle to have one, we can still spread awareness and education through our blogs. Even though education is self advocation, it truly makes the lives of those who are struggling much easier when those around them have the tools to empathize with them. We believe that by educating and having discussions we can help individuals understand those who might be struggling with certain conditions a lot better leading to a more understanding, accepting, and less discriminatory society.

With that in mind, April is autism awareness month! This means that ReThink is going to delve deeper into the topic and offer educational material on it. Many of our customers are or have family members living with autism. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a disorder that characterizes itself differently in each individual hence the ‘spectrum’. No one person has the exact same autistic patterns. Some might have very functional autism while others might have a version of it that truly impedes social interaction. ASD is characterized by repetitive behavior, hyper behavior, object fixation, specific routines, sensitivity to sound, touch and light, and challenged social behavior including compromised social skills and communication. 1 in 54 people are diagnosed with ASD which makes it a common disorder and something we should all be aware of. The main thing to understand is that autism is not an illness or a disease. It just means that your brain works differently than that of a neurotypical person. ASD is lifelong and while there is nothing to make your brain work in a neurotypical manner, there are several ways one can improve the presentation of ASD if it is impeding daily life (hint: CBD works wonders).

ASD is part of something known as neurodivergence. Neurodivergence is the diversity present in brains across the globe. It is what allows society to have brains that offer completely different ways of functioning, perspectives, and overall wiring. Those that have ASD, dyslexia, ADHD, dyspraxia, and other atypical neurological functioning are considered to be neurodivergent. This means that when you’re neurodivergent, you learn, pay attention, interact, communicate, and behave completely differently than neurotypical brains. Without neurodivergence, our world would be a lot less diverse.

With this in mind, this month we will take a look at how CBD can be positively impactful for those living with ASD. We will also look at how living with ASD can be more effective towards specific tasks and lines of work than someone who is neurotypical. We really want to highlight and celebrate the special nature of a neurodivergent human being living with ASD. Stay tuned for the rest of our April blogs to learn more about ASD and those living with it!