April seems to be a month where we celebrate several activities that are recognized nationwide. April includes many events like Earth Day and Arbor Day as well as Easter in 2023. We even recognized the fact that we are one year away from a total eclipse of the sun in Vincennes on April 8, 2024! All things considered from a mental health awareness perspective, I would like to highlight three efforts that are near and dear to our hearts and minds at the Knox County Mental Health America group.
1. April is Autism Acceptance Month. An often-misunderstood developmental issue has seen amazing progress in recent years. Integration of young adults into the work force through technological advances and recognition of unique talents amongst this population has been most encouraging. Advances in the education arena have also been quite exciting as we are learning more specifically about best practices for adaptive learning and, again, the technology available today is significantly advanced. This continues to be especially important as there is a growing number of individuals born with these challenges.
2. April is Stress Awareness Month. Post the pandemic, the national level of stress amongst all age groups has significantly increased and considerable positive attention has been drawn at both the state and national level to fund how people cope with stress, especially amongst young people. While not everyone suffers from a specific anxiety related disorder, it is fully clear that everyone deals with stress and increasingly people are aware of the negative consequences that can result from prolonged stress and trauma.
3. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. We look to the positive aspects about how we can decrease the amount of abuse and neglect that occurs with families who experience the cycle of abuse. This has been even more prevalent in our society during the isolation that was created during the pandemic. As we begin the recovery process, we want families to receive the support necessary to take care of the most vulnerable in our population.
Finally, let’s pull these three things together. Children with disabilities of all types are amongst the highest risk youth for abuse and neglect. The demands, strained emotions, and multiple stressors placed on parents and family members must be recognized and addressed. Becoming more knowledgeable and adaptable to stress is important both for those individuals on the autism spectrum as well as all youth during this month to prevent child abuse.
Lastly, we need to keep in mind all the teachers, case managers, therapists, and supportive agencies that we recognize during April, the busiest of awareness months.
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