Women’s Web is saying Goodbye! Please make sure you read this important notification.
Living with autism in yourself or with a loved one isn't easy. These Instagram handles on creating autism awareness may help you understand some things though you must consult an expert.
“Autism is uniqueness and difference personified.” ~ Amanda J Friedman
April is Autism awareness month the world over, when we can focus on creating awareness for autism and Asperger’s syndrome. It helps improve the lives of those who have autism and creates a more accessible and comprehensive world.
Autism also known as Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD) is a brain disorder that mostly causes challenges in one’s socio-communicative abilities.
While most Western countries show openness to talking about autism without stigma, there is increased awareness and inclusion everywhere else, slowly happening in India too. Even as mental health continues to be highly stigmatized in our country due to societal pressures and fear of rejection.
Let’s look at some impactful Indian and global Instagram handles that are creating meaningful content around autism awareness.
Autism family story is run by Vidya Banerjee, who is a flight attendant, autism advocate, and an autism mom who resides in Florida, USA. Her son Aarian, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3 was her inspiration to start this page. Her informational 801 posts provide informational tips and strategies to fellow autism parents. She also has a podcast where she inspires and helps parents in their journey. Vidya Banerjee currently has 1,628 followers.
Haley Moss is one such influencer who was diagnosed with autism when she was 3 years old. Today, she’s an advocate, an attorney, an author, and an artist. Through her Instagram account, she brings awareness to the possibilities in the spectrum. Moss advocates bringing changes as she believes the world needs to be ready to accept all kinds of bodies and minds. Her account has over 14.3k followers and 348 posts.
Chris Bonnello, after being the author behind the Underdogs novels, is an autistic advocate, and an international speaker and was also a teacher who used to teach in mainstream and special institutes. He was assessed for autism at the young age of 4 after which he was finally diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at the age of 25. Today, through his Instagram account and his website, he shares his insights on autism, both from a professional and personal point of view. His Instagram account has over 18k followers with 1,023 posts.
Daniel Jones is a philosopher, scientist, and musician. He was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at the age of 27 but was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was 15. Through his Instagram account, he creates various posts and reels to help people navigate their life with autism. Jones is also the mastermind behind the youtube channel The Aspie World, which is UK’s largest youtube channel for autism education. Jones’s account today has more than 40.7k followers with 2,151 posts
This page is one of the biggest accounts on the gram that is creating awareness for autism. The page is filled with autistic and neurodivergent content and they spread awareness in a fun way through memes and funny reels that have over 111,000 views. Today, this Instagram account is going strong with a large family of over 151k followers with 2,946 posts.
Continua Kids is a mental health center for kids that are specially-abled that is located in 6 different cities of India- Amritsar, Delhi, Faridabad, Gurugram, Noida, and Patna. They often hold therapy Q&A sessions often with Dr. Himani Narula and Dr. Puja Kapoor. They educate their audience on how to teach students with autism, and how we can support them, and also post various reels about the games that they organize for kids. Their Instagram page has 1,164 followers and 455 informational posts.
The neurodivergent rebel was started in the fall of 2016 by Lyric Rivera. They explore the creativity and expressions of autistic people and urge people to accept neurological differences and neurodivergent people. They also promote accessible, welcoming, and healthy workspaces for neurodivergent employees who can showcase their full potential and talents. Rivera’s Instagram account today has over 53k followers with 4703 informational posts on autism as well as trans rights.
This Instagram account is not run by just 1 person, but 4 people – Cassidy, Erica, Louis, and Nyx. With over 27.8k followers and 506 posts, this account creates autism awareness by posting funny memes and reels with over 1 million views to engage with its audience. They also collaborate with other creators on the social media app with different disorders to bring about awareness. All 4 of them share their own stories as well to help other people navigate through life.
Yulika Forman is a developmental psychologist and a mental health counselor whose practice is mostly focused on autism and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and has a Ph.D. in child development. She often creates posts and reels where she shares her personal as well as professional experience while working with autistic kids and also gives tips to parents with autistic kids on how to make them comfortable at home and suggests ways how to communicate with autistic people. Her Instagram page has over 38k followers with 1,343 very informational posts on autism, ADHD, and co-occurring conditions.
Sahana, a child with autism, and her mother Parul Tandon, through their posts and trying to create a society where people will start treating kids with autism the same way they treat other kids. Parul also frequently shares videos of Sahana doing her daily activities and praises her for how far she’s come. She also has highlights where various people across different ages share touching messages on Down syndrome. Parul tells us that initially it was hard for her but her diagnosis helped her understand Sahana better. This Instagram account is comparatively small yet wholesome with 510 followers and 120 adorable and helpful posts.
Nayi Disha is an organization that supports and guides families with members that are on the autism spectrum. Through their Instagram page they create parent communities, support groups, and provide informational resources. They also provide support by suggesting verified medical professionals. This account currently has 2,369 followers with 1,308 posts.
This Instagram account is run by Vaanya’s mother, Keerthana Vinodh, who’s also an autism advocate. She shares Vaanya’s growth with autism and also provides multiple tips for other autistic parents. She also tells us about her journey as a mother with an autistic child and tells us why it is important to accept neurodiversity. Their page currently has 2,454 followers and 178 posts.
Rakesh has been on the autism spectrum for over 10 years. He talks about his struggle with autism and how he felt different from other people. Through his Instagram page he shares many personal stories and also gives out tips on how to cope with remarks that are targeted at one. Rakesh also likes illustrating, coding, and taking photos. His account currently has 504 followers with 348 posts about autism and some lovely photography.
Living with autism isn’t easy. Teenhood is one of the most complex stages in one’s life given that one is in the process of introspecting and discovering themselves. Especially living with autism makes that process difficult. In addition, they might be bullied, treated like an outcast, or even have opportunities taken away from them. It can even be hard for them to make friends. These above accounts help spread the fact that autism doesn’t define a person and even a person with autism is unique in their own way. We highly recommend following these accounts, spreading the word, and making a difference in their lives.
Image source: a still from the film English Vinglish
Just another teenager in this loud world writing quietly about the things that eye witnessed. Ig: @satvika_tupil read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
Please enter your email address