By Shelby Stewart-Soldan
ssoldan@mihomepaper.com
Residents will start seeing blue pinwheel gardens throughout Brandon Township as Brandon Groveland Youth Assistance starts their campaign for April, which is Child Abuse Prevention Month and Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month.
According to the Center for Disease Control, one in 36 children have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
“When schools and communities embrace autism, not just with awareness but with acceptance, it gives our students with autism a higher likelihood to thrive socially, mentally and academically,” said Matt Koekkoek, director of student support services at Brandon Schools. “It puts a different frame around the awareness for the month, and it shifts the focus. We’re not trying to fix the difference, it moves us more towards celebrating those differences. The hope is that it fosters more of a culture of belonging.”
The spectrum for autism spectrum disorder, Koekkoek said, is very broad, so students can be affected in different ways and have different needs.
“We train our staff on inclusive practices, and having them understand communication strategies will support students with autism in our environment,” he said. “We also have to continuously think about how students who are autistic are perceived by their peers.”
Koekkoek said that their focus remains on empathy, patience, and a broader understanding of diversity.
“I think awareness has been superficial, it’s not enough,” he said. “Acceptance takes it further. It’s not just the recognition of the difference, but taking that one step further to embracing that difference. I think when we put ourselves into a place of acceptance instead of trying to fix them, it creates environments where students with autism can thrive.”
The blue pinwheels are part of a nation campaign, Pinwheels for Prevention, which promotes child abuse prevention. The research behind it says people respond positively to pinwheels, which represent childlike whimsy and lightheartedness.
“We have a duty to report, we are mandated reporters,” said Koekkoek. “Some signs of child abuse include unexplained injuries, changes in behavior, atypical behaviors. Certain fearfulness around people, adults, specific adults. Hygiene changes or excessive absences is another one, especially if it’s a deviation from the norm. A lot of things we tend to look at are the emotional, not just the physical.”
Anyone who suspects child abuse can report to the police or child protective services, and can remain anonymous.
“The staff at the schools, we emphasize, really that the protection of our students is all of our responsibilities,” he said. “If you see something, say something.”
Find more resources and information on mental health and wellness from Brandon Groveland Youth Assistance the first Saturday of each month in The Citizen newspaper.