May is Mental Health Awareness Month, an opportunity to raise awareness for those living with mental health issues and help reduce the stigma that so many experience. In this issue of E-Speaks, we share the stories of Sam, an autistic young adult who openly discusses her autism and other diagnoses, and Luke, an 8-year-old whose family is working to help him overcome sensory and emotional challenges. You will also read about the Autism Speaks-supported Autism Care Network’s advances in treatments and programs to address the mental health crisis, and gain access to our free resources to help autistic adults reduce stress and manage their daily challenges.

In my own words: Finding my true self in honesty

Meet Sam P., a Division III swimmer at Marywood University. Sam openly shared her bipolar 1 diagnosis, ADHD and struggles with anxiety with her friends and teammates, but when it came to her autism, she was hesitant to be fully transparent. The 19-year-old worried she’d be judged and treated differently because of her autism diagnosis. Learn how Sam overcame her fear to find her true self.

Finding inspiration in Mental Health Awareness Month

In this blog, you’ll meet 8-year-old Luke who was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 years old. Luke faces a variety of sensory and emotional challenges on a daily basis. Thanks to years of therapy and guidance in the classroom, his mom, Roxanne, says her son continues to work towards reaching his full potential. Learn how Mental Health Awareness Month inspires Luke’s family to be vocal about their son’s diagnosis in hopes of helping other autism families.

Learn about emotional regulation and self-soothing in autism

Sometimes, people with autism have a hard time regulating their emotions. They may rely on unique self-soothing strategies to deal with intense emotions and seek out or avoid sensory stimuli like bright lights, loud sounds, touch and intense smells. In this Q&A, Arianna Esposito, BCBA and vice president of services and supports and life span programs at Autism Speaks, discusses emotional regulation strategies. Learn more.

Achieve balance and empowerment in your life

Autistic adults can face many challenges in their everyday lives that impact their daily functioning. Sometimes, the small things can build up and become overwhelming, making it hard to manage other parts of life. Our Roadmap to Self-Empowerment for Autistic Adults helps autistic adults identify their challenges, assess what triggers them and develop strategies to assist them in difficult situations.

The Autism Care Network works to improve mental health in the autism community

Research shows that people with autism are more likely to have other mental health conditions that affect their overall health and well-being. The Autism Speaks-supported Autism Care Network is working to address the mental health crisis among autistic youth by innovating treatments for the three most commonly co-occurring mental health issues: ADHD, anxiety and irritability. Additionally, the Network’s ECHO Autism: Mental Health program, created in partnership with the University of Missouri, is improving clinicians’ knowledge of autism and enhancing community access to quality care.

Local events and information