Autism Awareness Month

Every year, in April, Autism awareness month invites you to slow down and see the world a little differently. It’s a moment to recognise the quiet strength, depth, and beauty that often go unnoticed in autistic individuals—and to acknowledge just how far we still must go in building a more understanding and accepting society. 

Autism affects the way a person relates to people, social situations, and the immediate environment. Many autistic people have difficulty processing everyday sensory information like sight, smells, touch, tastes and sounds. 

Autistic people may also describe themselves as neurodivergent, this includes lots of different conditions such as OCD, Bipolar, Schizophrenia, ADHD and Down Syndrome. The main areas of difficulty which all autistic people share are social communication, reciprocal social interactions and restricted, repetitive and inflexible patterns of behaviour (including sensory processing differences). 

During Neurodiversity Week which took place on 17 to 23 March 2025, online events took place to help raise awareness of and to explain what neurodiversity means. These sessions provided people with a better understanding of how to support neurodivergent individuals.  To review recordings from the event click here. 

Money Guiders are offering an online event to provide valuable insights into supporting autistic and neurodivergent individuals becoming more confident with money on Tuesday 8 April 2025 from 11am to 12.30pm. 

During this session, you will: 

• Discover the impactful work of Autism NI and how they support the community. 
• Gain a deeper understanding of what autism and neurodiversity truly mean. 
• Explore the unique challenges that autistic and neurodivergent individuals face, particularly in managing their finances and accessing support. 
• Learn about neuro-inclusion and the actionable steps your services can take to become more accessible and welcoming. 

To register for the event, click here. 

Autism NI have a range of factsheets and resources for autistic people, parents, carers, professionals, and family members, to access click here.