Autism Awareness Day- 2017

I know I'm a little late on this one, but hear me out about it.
As I've gotten more and more into the sciences, from learning about it myself to studying properly in college, autism has been brought up as more and more of a discussion point. It was a little interesting as a way to separate the scientists from the conservatives. A majority of people (including most of the group I was put in an assignment with, unfortunately,) only ever saw it as a problem. It was a disease that needed to be "cured" and they did everything they could to avoid it, like skipping out on vaccinations.
You can see the problems this creates on its own, but that's a discussion for another day.
Anyways, that's when the enthusiasts piped in and showed a different perspective. Most of the problems that people talk about when discussing autism (an inability or aversion to communication, seemingly random outbursts of emotion, and so on) are centered around the fact that they don't think about things the way 'normal' people do. They are still able to make connections between events, objects, and people, they just aren't the connections we would expect them to. This, in itself, is far from a bad thing. As a matter of fact, many of the most important discoveries and ideas in art and science came about through people on the spectrum. Figures like Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, and Mozart were described to have had many of the same erratic traits that many autistics have nowadays, and, well, the results in modern biology, physics, and music theory speak for themselves.
This isn't to say that this doesn't come with serious issues. As mentioned earlier, a little under one per cent of the world's population is born without the ability to communicate properly, which alone can have major ramifications on the person's surroundings, family, friends, and own self if not monitored. However, it's still important to know that they are still people. With patience, they can prove to be smarter, more creative, and more efficient than most people they know because of the one thing that can tear it all apart.
It's a little odd to call it "Autism Awareness Day" when the term is often applied to cancer, AIDs, and other diseases that we need to cure. Autism itself isn't the problem. People are. The problem is that these children fail classes because the school system is incompatible with their own methods. The problem is that they are bullied and tormented by people who don't understand them. The problem is that one-half of people call them mistakes caused by some scientific process, and the other half says they'll never make it in life because of their frustrations and emotions. The problem is that they are being told to find their way in a world that they are told will never appreciate their talents and personality.
I've worked with a wide range of people on the spectrum, and there has even been some debate if I fall on it myself, but I can attest to these people's untapped potential. It's not a curse to be cut out, but it is a genuine gift that happens to come with some extra parts. Rather than shun and discourage them, we need them to know that, with a little effort from both ends, a strong connection can be formed. They, like all people, can be made stronger, friendlier, and more successful than we think. It all only depends on the world we want them, or maybe ourselves, to see.

Rendered in Photoshop

P.S. As a side note, the graphics tablet I have been using for the last few years has just up and decided to explode on me, and I now can't get it to work. This will undoubtedly make digital painting harder to do, especially if I want to keep up with the quality of the pieces I've been making lately. However, I will still try to be consistent with the release of content. It will all just involve more scans, storytelling, and unique ways to get the information across than usual.
If this wasn't going to cost me money, I'd say it would actually be a good thing.
Stay stellar, my friends.