IF YOU have been following the Bank Workers Charity Twitter account recently, you will have noticed that the BWC is supporting ‘World Autism Awareness Week’.
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with, and relates to, other people and the world around them.
One in 100 people have autism of some form, meaning that there are around 700,000 people with autism in the UK, and is the second most common issue we receive call for on our helplines.
Like many developmental conditions, autism is little understood by the general public, and false, sometimes negative ideas are common.
Even potentially positive stereotypes, such as the idea that all people with autism are geniuses like Dustin Hoffman’s character in Rainman (when current thinking is that such abilities are present in 1 or 2 in every 200 people with autism) as they reduce a complex, hugely varied condition to a single, misleading, characteristic.
Autism is a spectrum condition, which means that, while all people with autism share certain areas of difficulty, their condition will affect them in different ways. It is likely therefore that you know somebody who has the condition, even if you are it aware of it.
People with autism can and do lead fulfilling, happy lives, whether or not they receive basic or specialist support.
As it is likely that someone you know, work with, or love has the condition, the more we educate ourselves and society about what autism is, and how to approach it, the easier it is for myths about it to be dispelled.
To achieve this goal, the Bank Workers Charity is proud to support our partner The National Autistic Society in promoting World Autism Awareness Week and the ‘#StandOutForAutism’ campaign.
This week, you can raise funds to support people with autism to live the lives they choose, spread the word about autism, and have a fantastic time!
By raising awareness through night walks, ‘Onsie Wednesdays’ and a host of other activities we urge our supporters in the banking industry to take part and raise money and awareness for the cause.
Our website has a number of resources that can help, including guides on autism,Asperger syndrome and information for adults diagnosed with autism and there are many more specialist guides on the National Autistic Society website.
Bank Workers Charity is here to support banker workers, ex-bank workers, and their families with life’s challenges.
Having the right information at the right time can make a huge difference when you are looking to make a positive change in your life. For more information on our range of services, visit our website (www.bwcharity.org.uk) or call our helpline on 0800 0234 834 between 9 and 5, Monday to Friday.
