A gathering was held in front of Hawkesbury Town Hall on Saturday, April 2 to ‘Raise the Flag’ and make the community aware of Autism Awareness Month.
According to Autism Speaks Canada, autism – or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) – refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech, and nonverbal communication. It is estimated that one in 66 Canadian children and youth aged five to 17 have been diagnosed with autism.
In Hawkesbury, families affected by autism were joined by Mayor Paula Assaly, town councillors, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers, and members of the business community for the Raise the Flag gathering.
According to local resident Nicole Taylor. of Autism Ontario, the ASD Prescott-Russell United Facebook group now has 120 members, and the community is increasingly showing it understands the unique needs people with ASD and their families face.
“There’s so much support from everybody,” Taylor said.
She said parents greatly appreciate the understanding approach Hawkesbury OPP officers are taking with children who have ASD. Local officers have been supportive of the Rides for Autism events (snowmobiles, boats, off-road vehicles) that now take place three times a year across the region.
“They’ve been with us since the get go,” Taylor said.
Since pandemic restrictions have eased, ASD Prescott-Russell United is hoping to again offer its monthly program where the pool at the Robert Hartley Sports Complex in Hawkesbury is reserved only for families with members with ASD. Taylor said the program also allows children with ASD to have play dates with other children.
