Today is the last day of April, and thus the last day of "Autism Awareness Month." Honestly, I don't know what to think of autism "awareness" since it doesn't really make people "aware" so much as it frequently spreads unhelpful stereotypes.

Each child is different, regardless of whether he or she has a "diagnosis" and as such, their strengths and weaknesses differ.

I'm tired of the tragic stories of autism: those that focus on hardship, despair, and lost dreams. Although there are definitely aspects of a spectrum diagnosis that fall into those categories, it is much more useful to acknowledge these children's (and adult's) strengths.

Fortunately, I've had the opportunity to review two different stories about children on the spectrum, both of which acknowledge challenges, but also celebrate their subjects for who they are as people beyond the diagnosis. Please head on over to A Spectrum of Reviews for my thoughts on these - and other - stories that put a public face onto autistic spectrum disorders.

My message for April is just be "aware" that everyone is different. Each family finds its own ways of coping and creating, and we're all just doing the best we can for our kids, regardless of our exact methods. For those of us quirky adults, we're just trying to be accepted, understood, and appreciated. The more the public sees varying stories of those on the spectrum, the better. After all, reality is a whole spectrum of people.