April 2 marked World Autism Awareness Day and a parade was held in downtown Camden to recognize the event.
Wyletta Johnson, the organizer of the event, is the author of three books, the coordinator of a Walk for Autism and the organizer of a banquet honoring people with autism.
In 2019, she spoke with the Camden Lions Club and told her story.
Johnson's son, Darius, was diagnosed with autism at a young age.
Johnson shared: "I didn't understand and I wondered 'Why me?' But then, as this journey went on, I realized 'Why not me?'"
She said the hardest thing about the journey is not autism, but people's reactions. Johnson stated that people would become uncomfortable in restaurants due to her son's rocking movements. They would ask Johnson if Darius was "slow" or "retarded."
She admitted that for a while, her child was nonverbal and she was even told by specialists that he would probably never talk.
"I knew what every moan, every grunt, every 'un, un, un, un' meant. I knew what they meant," Johnson stated. "It was like I could feel it. But then one day I said, 'No. I'm doing this wrong. I have to motivate you. I have to push you. I have to encourage you.'"
"I said, 'Darius, I'm not getting up off this couch until you tell me what you want," she said.
With a sigh, she said, her son said: "I want something to drink."
She said that led to an insight for her.
"It's not that they can't. It's that they don't want to," she said.
She started the Walk for Autism from meager beginnings with 20 attendees the first year the event was held. The event now boasts hundreds of people coming out to support it.
Johnson also hosts a banquet honoring the achievements of people with autism. She said that a staple of the banquet is chicken strips, and that she instructs people to wear "whatever they are comfortable in."
President Joe Biden marked the day in Washington with an address that stated, in part, "We have made significant progress in improving access to opportunity for people with developmental disabilities in recent years. However, many autistic individuals still experience gaps in employment and income. The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded these inequities, creating unique challenges and strains for people with autism and their families."
In 2021, The Autism Society of America pushed for the month be renamed as Autism Acceptance Month, because according to Autism Society of America President Christopher Banks, "Awareness is knowing that somebody has autism. Acceptance is when you include (a person with autism) in your activities. Help (them) to develop in that community and get that sense of connection to other people."