A look, a tear, a scream or a silence... Running away, running away, crying inconsolably or stopping eating... They are forms of expression, they are responses to the stimuli of our environment and, ultimately, it is language and communication. .

On World Autism Awareness Day, parents of children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) will take to the streets this year to emphasize the right of children and families to enjoy a happy life.

Irene Socorro, a native of the Canary Islands and a resident of Burriana (Castellón), is the mother of Julen and Alejandro, two five-year-old twins, diagnosed with ASD and with two “very different sensory profiles”.

This Saturday, she publicly presents the Espai Autisme Association, of which she is a founder along with María Zaragoza, Adriana Montagut and María Edo.

"It is necessary for society to understand that there are other ways of communicating other than verbal expression. In the same way that we have made progress in adapting sidewalks for people with physical disabilities; and traffic lights, for people with hearing disabilities; also people with ASD need an adapted environment that reduces stimuli," he says.

ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects communication and social interaction, and the flexibility of thought and behavior, according to the Spanish Autism Confederation, which calculates that in our country more than 470,000 people have ASD.

At the moment in which a mother like Irene receives the diagnosis of Julen and Alejandro -when the children were two years old-, the non-conformist that she carried inside is revolutionized.

"If starting parenting as a new mother with two babies at the same time is already life-changing, you can't even imagine our case."

"You don't have to settle for the therapeutic process that professionals provide you, you have to get involved, get to know their way of understanding the world and communicating, and it's a daily struggle for sensory integration," she says.

From renovating their home, changing the lights -because the white ones stimulate too much- and painting with neutral colors, to discarding certain foods, toys and sensory regulation of Julen and Alejandro after a day at school.

«I still do not dare to take them to the cinema or to the amusement park, not even to the inclusive fair in Castellón this Saturday.

We need to check it ourselves first, because the will is very good but the adaptation process is global.

We live in a Fallas city and despite taking the children with noise-cancelling helmets, the lights, the vibration of the ground, the firecrackers, the smells, the crowds..., Julen and Alejandro found it difficult to register the same time everything as to interpret that we were partying Fallas.

If I do not register well step by step each stimulus,

The feeling that so much stimulation produces in a child with ASD leads to a sensory crisis that makes them feel uncomfortable with the environment, panic, run away and even suffer physical pain.

"They have a very bad time and disruptive behaviors arise. One of my children is able to hear the sound of the light bulbs and that disturbs him. And until he said to me: Mom, can't you hear it?, we looked at his gaze towards the light bulb and in his reactions, because we wanted to know what disturbed him.

For this reason, Irene emphasizes the fundamentals of sensory integration by the family, social, educational environment and the involvement of public administrations and this Saturday they will put it on the table.

"All possible support is appreciated, because behind the association there are many hours without sleep, trying to see how to reach others and normalize this. If the children in class see my children's adaptation as something normal, there will be no labels We're all different in the end, we just communicate differently."

Patricia Martínez, psychologist and one of the managers of the AANTEA association, explains how the Covid pandemic, in a way, has put society in the place of ASD people.

«We wanted to kiss and hug our loved ones but we did not do it precisely for their good, for their safety, and we were looking for signs of affection in another way: looks, smiles..., messages.

ASD people express their emotions in another way.

They love us, even if they don't hug us."

This Saturday, the Ribalta park in Castellón hosts the Solidarity March for the visibility of TEA and the Inclusion Fair organized by TEACAS to help raise awareness of the world day.

In addition, a sensory regulation tent will be set up on the premises, with mats, adapted games, relaxation music to help restore balance and disconnect from the overstimuli that a playful day can provide.

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