Awareness Archives - Page 4 of 6

Understanding Asperger’s: A Teacher’s Guide

Students with Asperger’s syndrome present a unique set of challenges—challenges that many teachers are not provided with the appropriate training for. This can make welcoming a student with Asperger’s into the classroom seem daunting.

Fortunately, there are a lot of resources available to help teachers fill the gap and educate themselves, so they can make learning a positive experience and help students with Asperger’s feel comfortable and empowered, while managing the disorder’s more challenging traits.

Here, we’ve pulled resources from the Internet’s most authoritative Asperger’s resources to serve as a guide for teachers seeking to learn about Asperger’s and how to support students with this condition in the classroom.

What is Asperger’s Syndrome?

Asperger’s syndrome is a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). PDDs are a set of conditions that affect a person’s ability to develop basic skills, such as the ability to engage socially and use the imagination.

Children with Asperger’s are typically of average or even above-average intelligence, and although they can struggle to communicate, they have close to normal language development.

Kids with Asperger’s may act eccentrically or make repetitive movements, struggle with change to their routine, and have coordination problems. However, they are also extremely enthusiastic about their interests and highly talented in particular areas such as music or math.

Learn more:
Asperger’s Syndrome, WebMD

Asperger’s in the Classroom

Because students with Asperger’s tend to be highly intelligent, they usually function well in most aspects. However, they struggle to relate to other students, make friends, and participate in group activities in the classroom.

They are also prone to outbursts or tantrums, which can seem sudden, but are likely related to their struggle to communicate or to cope with a busy environment, etc. It can help a student with Asperger’s to cope if you can provide a “quiet space” s/he can retreat to when feeling over-stimulated.

Students with Asperger’s become anxious in unstructured settingswhere people are moving at random, and struggle with change to their regular routine—such as a substitute teacher.

Learn more:
Understanding the Student with Asperger’s Syndrome, OASIS @ MAAP
Challenges for Asperger’s Students, My Aspergers Child

Helping Asperger’s Students Succeed

Because of the unique challenges discussed above, students with Asperger’s syndrome have different support needs in the classroom compared to typically-abled students. There are a lot of ways teachers can modify their lessons and approach to help Asperger’s students succeed.

For example, it can help students with Asperger’s to have visuals that illustrate their daily schedule, and to get as much warning as possible of any upcoming change to the normal routine. They tend to take language very literally, so avoid slang or metaphors when addressing a student with Asperger’s, and give directions in short and direct sentences. Keep an eye out for when the student shows signs of feeling overwhelmed, and help the student break away for quiet time to regroup.

These are only a few of many ways teachers can help students with Asperger’s find success. Teachers should also be aware of all relevant laws and tools available to them, such as the school’s special education specialists and the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Learn more:
Classroom Tips for Students with Aspergers, School Behavior
Teaching Strategies for Asperger Students, Johns Hopkins School of Education
Individual Education Programs, Organization for Autism Research

Promoting Understanding with other Students

Because students with Asperger’s struggle to make social connections, they have a hard time connecting with their peers and forming friendships. In their eagerness to make friends, they can develop a willingness to do almost anything to participate—something their peers may sometimes take advantage of. They often cannot discriminate between positive play and mean-spirited actions against them.

Research has shown that when students are given clear and accurate information about Asperger’s, they are more sympathetic to and accepting of peers with the disorder. Take the time to educate the other students in the class about what Asperger’s is, emphasizing the value of diversity and highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of those with Asperger’s.

Meet with the school psychologist and the student’s parents beforehand to ensure everyone is on the same page about what to say, and don’t disclose the student’s name during the talk unless the parents and the student both agree to it.

Learn more:
Helping Kids Understand Aspergers, School Counseling by Heart
6 Steps to Success for Asperger Syndrome, Organization for Autism Research
Helping Peers Support Students with Autism, Autism Speaks

Working Together

Parents can be your best ally when it comes to addressing issues and finding what will work best for an Asperger’s student in the classroom. It’s best to maintain regular communication with the parents, and don’t be afraid to ask questions—most likely, they’ll be impressed that the teacher is putting forth the effort to learn more.

Teachers should also take advantage of additional support resources available to them, too. Most schools will have a school psychologist and special education specialists who can provide additional insights into how to help an Asperger’s student succeed.

There is also an abundance of information to help teachers understand and support students with Asperger’s online.

Resources:
Teachers and Administrators, Autism Speaks
An Educator’s Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome, Danya International Inc. and the Organization for Autism Research
The Complete Guide to Teaching Students with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism, My Aspergers Child

Unique Challenges, Unique Strengths

A student with Asperger’s brings a unique set of strengths and challenges to the classroom, for themselves, the teacher, and the class overall. But with patience, education, and understanding, a student with Aspergers can do well in a traditional classroom setting.

What is PDD?

Pervasive developmental disorders (often shortened to PDD) is a term used to refer to a group of conditions that cause a delay in the development of basic skills. These basic skills most commonly include the ability to socialize, communicate and use imagination. People who have a PDD often struggle to understand the world around them.

Examples of PDDs include:

Autism
Asperger’s syndrome
Childhood disintegrative disorder
Rett syndrome
PPD, not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)

Though PDDs are typically present in a child very young, but most commonly become evident around the age of three, when it becomes clear that the child is not keeping up with their peers’ development milestones.

PDD symptoms can range from mild to severe. They often include difficulty with communicating verbally, difficulty with gestures and facial expressions, difficulty relating to others, difficulty adjusting to changes in routine, repetitive behavior patterns or movements, sensitivity to sounds, and more.

According to WebMD, an estimated one in 88 children has a PDD, and it is more common in boys than girls. The outlook for a person with a PDD can vary significantly depending on how severe the individual’s symptoms are. However, though most will have some issues with socialization throughout their lives, many can reduce their symptoms and enhance their functionality with therapy and early intervention.

The Skin Cancer Prevention Guide

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, according to the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention. Over 2 million cases are treated in the country each year—that’s more cases than breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer combined. In 2004, treatments for non-melanoma skin cancers alone cost $1.4 billion.

Although some skin cancer risk factors can’t be changed, there are a lot of ways to can protect yourself and reduce your risk. Just take care of yourself by following these prevention tips.

Know your natural risk factors.
There are certain risk factors that are out of your control. For example, people with fairer skin are at higher risk than those with darker skin, and men are at greater risk than women. You’re also at greater risk if there is a history of skin cancer in your family, or if you’ve had skin cancer before yourself.

Protect from UVs
One of the best ways to avoid getting skin cancer is to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays. When you go outside, cover up with clothing and hats as much as you can.

Whatever skin isn’t covered, be sure to apply sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 for every day, and SPF 30 for extended periods outside. Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside, and reapply sunscreen every two hours, or after getting sweaty or wet.

Stay in the shade
Even better than protecting yourself when you’re in the sun, just stay out of it whenever possible. This is especially important during the hours when the sun is the strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you’re not sure how strong the sun is, just look at your shadow—if it’s taller than you are, get inside.

Check your skin monthly
When a case of skin cancer is caught early, it can make a big difference in how serious it is and how easy it is to treat. A quick monthly self-check can help ensure you’re aware of any potential issues before they’re big problems.

All you need to check your own skin is a full-length mirror and a handheld mirror. Take your clothes off and check your skin all over your body, using the mirrors to check areas you can’t easily see on your own. If you find an abnormal mole or other mark, see a doctor.

Get an annual checkup
Even if you don’t find any abnormalities in your self-checks, see a doctor once a year. The doctor will take a medical history, then check your body for signs of skin cancer and note the size, shape, color and texture of any areas in question. If a doctor suspects cancer, s/he may recommend further testing.

Prevention and Early Detection are Key

One in five Americans develops skin cancer at some point in their life, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. But if you follow these steps, you can significantly reduce your likelihood of being one of them. Even if you do develop skin cancer, following these tips will help you ensure you find it early and address it quickly.

Using Awareness Days To Raise Funds

Do you have a cause you support? Do you want to support the cause, but have no money to donate yourself? Do you want to earn money and have fun in the process? If you answered yes to any of these questions this article is for you. We will discuss several ways to earn money using national awareness days as a catalyst for garnering support and raising public awareness of the issue that you support while still making the process fun and easy. What is more, you will not even have to worry about calling donors to ask them for money, as no one likes telemarketers and the likelihood of reaching your goal when using that method is very low.

Do Something You Love

If you have an activity you love doing, you can use it to earn money on an awareness day. For example, if your passion is knitting, you can knit scarves or shawls in the cause’s colors such as pink for breast cancer awareness and then sell these shawls on National Breast Cancer Awareness Day. If you love to run, then it would be entirely possible to organize a race or marathon on an awareness day. This combination of activities you love and the boost in support brought out by the awareness day will ensure that you will earn money for your chosen cause as it is quite clear why you are knitting scarves or running a race.

Do a Cook-off

Everyone likes food! Another idea for your cause’s awareness day is to host a cook-out. Charge an admission fee, and then let people eat free. Charging the admission price per plate or bowl is the best way to do this. That way, if people would like seconds or thirds, they will need to pay the admission fee for another plate. For this to work successfully, it is necessary that the admission fee not be a lot of money, perhaps five or six dollars at the most. You would be surprised how quickly the money adds up. To get people interested beforehand, send out questionnaires asking what sorts of foods people would want. That way you will not have a lot of leftover food that no one will eat.

Earning money for your cause can be very easy if you have good products you have made or services you can render. But doing something special on your cause’s awareness day makes the likelihood of meeting your donation goal even higher. People associate concepts and colors with events in their mind. If you do something to earn money for your cause on an awareness day, there will be no doubt at all where the donations are going.

Childhood Cancer Fact Sheet

A cancer diagnosis is always distressing, but it can be especially heartrending when the patient in question is a child. There are some notable differences between cancers in children and cancers in adults.

Here are some key facts about childhood cancer:

Children make up less than 1 percent of all cancer diagnoses each year.

Even so, about 40,000 children are treated for cancer each year.

Cancer is the second biggest cause of death for children, after accidents.

An estimated 10,380 children under the age of 15 were diagnosed with cancer in 2015.

The average age of children who are diagnosed with cancer is six years old.

Of the children diagnosed with cancer, 12 percent do not survive.

An estimated 1,250 children 15 and younger died from cancer in 2015 alone.

The rate of childhood cancer diagnoses has been increasing for the last few decades.

More than 80 percent of children with cancer survive 5 years or more.

While adult cancers tend to be related to environmental or lifestyle risk factors, childhood cancers tend to be caused by DNA changes in the body’s cells that take place early in life.

Cancers in children tend to respond better to treatments like chemotherapy.

Children’s bodies also tend to cope better with chemotherapy than adults’ bodies.

Because cancer treatments like chemotherapy can cause long-term side effects, child cancer survivors require careful follow-up the rest of their lives.

60 percent of childhood cancer survivors suffer late effects, or side effects from cancer treatments that show up months or even years later. These can include infertility, heart failure and even secondary cancers.

Leukemias (cancers of the bone marrow and blood) are the most common type of cancer found in children, accounting for 30 percent of all cases.

The second most common type of childhood cancer are tumors of the brain and central nervous system, consisting of 26 percent of all cases.

There are about 375,000 adults who are survivors of childhood cancer in the United States.

Sources: American Cancer Society, CureSearch, Keaton Raphael Memorial

Pediatric Cancer: Managing the Side Effects of Treatment

Thanks to great strides that have been made in cancer treatments, more children who get cancer survive now than ever before—more than 80 percent of children survive at least five years, and most are cured.

But cancer in children is different from cancer in adults. Kids’ quickly growing bodies respond to treatment differently, and that means the side effects, near and long-term, can be different, too.

Here is a look at how the most common cancer treatments can affect child patients.

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy works by targeting and destroying fast-growing cells in the body. This works to fight cancer because cancer cells tend to grow faster than most other cells in the body, with the exception of blood and hair cells.

But in children’s growing bodies, many different types of cells are growing quickly, which can lead to increased side effects. In chemo, side effects are more likely to affect the whole body, and can include anemia, diarrhea or constipation, fatigue, bruising or bleeding, flu-like symptoms, and hair loss.

It’s difficult to predict how any individual will react, so doctors monitor children undergoing this treatment very carefully.

Radiation
Radiation treatment uses x-rays to target cancer cells and kill them. The x-ray beams must pass through healthy cells to reach the cancer cells, which can lead to side effects.

The most common side effect of radiation is fatigue. Another is radiation dermatitis, which refers to changes to the skin in the area being treated. Radiation dermatitis may make skin feel sensitive, develop a sunburn-like rash, or lose hair in the area treated.

To minimize these symptoms, clean the area daily with warm water and mild soap; avoid lotions, perfumes, or other skin treatments unless approved by your doctor; stay out of the sun; and avoid applying heat or cold to the area, as this could aggravate the skin further.

Other symptoms may vary depending in the area being treated. Learn more here.

Side effects from radiation generally begin within a few weeks of beginning treatment, and should go away within several weeks of ending treatment.

Surgery
Like other kinds of treatment, side effects from surgery can vary significantly depending on many factors. Unlike chemotherapy or radiation, surgery does not attack the body’s cells.

The most common side effects are constipation, headaches, nausea and pain. The younger a child is, the greater the potential affect on him or her following a surgery. This is due to how quickly young children grow.

Late effects
The aforementioned side effects are ones that show up during treatment and go away shortly after treatment ends. However, sometimes cancer treatments can lead to long-term changes in a child’s body, which may not show up until later in life. These are called late effects.

As treatments improve and more children are surviving cancer and reach adulthood, late effects are becoming more common. With this, they have become a more common focus for cancer care and research.

Late effects can be caused by chemotherapy, radiation or surgery. Like other side effects of cancer treatment, these late effects may be mild or very serious, depending on many factors, and can be hard to predict.

Late effects can include damage to the heart, lungs, brain, nerves, kidneys, thyroid gland, or reproductive organs. For some children, there are issues with delayed cognitive development, growth problems, or infertility. Some patients who receive certain kinds of chemotherapy have an increased risk of developing a second type of cancer later in life.

Because of these risks, children who are treated for cancer must be monitored carefully by a doctor throughout their lives.

A Lifelong Fight Against Cancer

Cancer treatment has come a long way. But as more and more child cancer survivors not just beating cancer but living long lives afterward, the side effects of treatment have become a more serious issue.

The specifics of any child’s side effects will be contingent on several different factors including age, cancer type, cancer severity, treatment type, and much more. But because some late effects may not emerge until years later, it’s important to be aware of the potential risks. Child cancer survivors to be monitored closely for late effects throughout their lives.

Eating for Heart Health

February is National Heart Month, and since it is just around the corner, more and more people have begun to think once again about their own heart health. It is no secret that heart health is very important, but many people often do not know where to get started when it comes to learning about their options. A lack of information and education is one of the biggest hurdles most people have to get over before they can begin to do something about their own heart health. Read on to get started on your first step toward a healthier, happier heart.

National Heart Month

What exactly does National Heart Month mean? This important annual event focuses on the causes, treatment, and prevention of heart disease in American adults. Unfortunately, 25% of all deaths in the United States are caused by heart disease. It is the goal of National Heart Month to educate individuals on their options and potential risk factors when it comes to this life threatening illness. Throughout the month of February, the American Heart Association sponsors various events around the country to help educate the population about heart disease and how to maintain a healthier heart. Through these events, doctors and nurses are encouraged to share their knowledge with local communities, and to teach individuals and families how to make a difference in their own lives. You can get started early by learning how to eat better to improve the health of your most vital organ.

Cut Back On Fats

Trans fats and saturated fats are not good for your heart or for the rest of your body, either. Cutting back on both of these unhealthy types of fat can help lower your cholesterol, which in turn keeps blood flowing freely through your arteries and reduces your risk of artery disease. Saturated fats should make up less than 7% of your daily caloric intake, and trans fats should comprise less than 1% of what you eat in a day. Trans fats are much more dangerous, but you can cut them out by cooking with healthy oils instead of butter or shortening. In some cases, you might even be able to cut out fats and oils from your cooking altogether! If this is not possible, consider even healthier alternatives, such as avocado in place of butter in certain recipes.

Watch Your Portions

No matter what you eat, watching your portion control is a good way to help lose or maintain your weight and keep your heart operating as it should. Even if you’re eating a lot of salad or other healthy choices, it is possible to consume far too many calories in a day by piling your plate with too much food. Never eat until you feel too full. It is best to always stop before you feel uncomfortable, to allow yourself to digest fully without packing in even more calories you do not need. If you have trouble controlling how much food you take, consider using a smaller plate, like a salad plate, to help you feel like you are eating more. Learn what a serving size of grains looks like versus a serving size of meat or vegetables, and you will be well on your way to heart-healthy eating in no time.

Eat Your Vegetables

Of course, no item on the dinner menu is as healthy as a nice serving of vegetables (or sometimes fruit). Fruits and veggies both provide plenty of minerals and vitamins, and some have even been shown to help with weight loss by increasing the amount of fiber in your daily intake. When you eat more vegetables and fruits, you will be less likely to reach for high fat content foods, which will only make your heart that much healthier. Choose fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables as opposed to canned items that may be packed with sodium. If you do eat canned fruit, be sure it is packed in water or in its own juices, and never in syrup. Limit vegetables that have been fried, since the breading and oils used in their preparation will negate all the benefits of the veggie itself. Remember that raw and fresh is always better!

Focus On The Right Foods

There are several different foods that can make your heart healthy diet that much easier (and delicious). Fill up your plate with these tasty ingredients and you can be sure you are making a difference for your whole body.

Salmon: Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, salmon and other similar fish are known for reducing plaque in the arteries and helping with irregular heart beats. Consume fatty fish like salmon two or three times a week. Do not eat too much fish in a week, however, due to the risk of mercury poisoning.

Citrus: Particularly in women, frequent consumption of citrus fruit can help reduce the risk of blood clots and associated problems such as clot-related stroke. Vitamin C and flavonoids are both present in citrus fruits, and they both help blood move properly and keep your heart beating evenly.

Oatmeal: Oatmeal is a fiber-filled breakfast treat that can help reduce cholesterol by soaking it up and moving it out of the body. Eat old-fashioned oatmeal that you prepare on the stove rather than the instant variety, which is usually full of sugar. Add a little honey and cinnamon instead of plain white sugar for healthy flavoring alternatives.

Tomatoes: Load up on tomatoes to enjoy the benefits of having plenty of potassium in your diet. Potassium is great for your body overall, and since tomatoes are high in antioxidants, they help move bad cholesterol out of your system while leaving the good. Best of all, they are a flavorful addition to just about any meal!

Blueberries: Fill up on blueberries to help reduce your risk of having a heart attack. When you consume blueberries at least three times a week, you receive tons of antioxidants that can help reduce your blood pressure and keep your heart pumping at a healthy r

Heart Attacks: Recognizing the Symptoms

Would you know if you were having a heart attack? Many people say that they would.

However, when it happens, they dismiss the very early warning symptoms as such innocuous things as indigestion, food poisoning, or even a harmless stomach bug. They find out only too late that what they mistook for harmless is actually much more serious and far less treatable than if they had gone to see a physician back when symptoms first presented themselves. As a further quandary, the symptoms of a heart attack differ depending on your sex, as well as other factors such as preexisting heart disease, age, and whether or not you are diabetic. Furthermore, not all those symptoms occur with every heart attack. This article will briefly discuss the symptoms of heart attack, so that you can be better informed and can detect the earliest warning signs in yourself or a loved one, and possibly even save a life.

Chest Pain and Discomfort

The most common symptoms of a heart attack are chest pain and discomfort. These are the ones that most people are familiar with, as they appear often on television and in movies. However, the chest pain and discomfort associated with a heart attack do not have to be the crushing, debilitating pain so often depicted. In fact, if you are a woman or a diabetic, the chest pain may be mild or even nonexistent. The pain, however, is usually concentrated in the center or left side of the chest and may not always feel like pain as most people think of it. Some people report fullness, pressure, squeezing or even indigestion. The feeling usually lasts for more than a few moments, or goes away and comes back.

Upper Body Discomfort

People who are having a heart attack may also feel pain in other areas of the upper body as well, such as the back and shoulders. Other areas of discomfort have also been reported. These include one or both arms, the jaw, neck, and stomach above the belly button. If you are a woman having a heart attack, pain is more likely to be in your neck, jaw and shoulders than if you are a man.

Shortness of Breath

Shortness of breath is another common symptom of a heart attack. It actually may be your only warning sign or occur along with chest pain and discomfort. It can occur when you are resting, or if you are doing a bit of light physical activity that would not normally cause you to become winded. All shortness of breath and chest pain that are out of the ordinary should be checked out by your physician as a safety measure. It is much better to be safe than sorry in this situation. This way, you may prevent a heart attack or get help in the early stages when it is treatable. And if it is not a heart attack, at least you will know what is really going on.

Other Symptoms

Though the three symptoms listed above are the most common symptoms of heart attack, they are most certainly not the only ones. For example, if you break out in a sudden cold sweat, it could be a warning sign of a heart attack. If you are concerned, please call your physician or a hospital, especially if the cold sweat is accompanied by chest pain. Feeling tired for no reason is another reason to contact a physician, especially if it lasts for days and you are a woman. Some heart attacks have symptoms that can seem totally innocuous. These include light-headedness, nausea, vomiting and changes in severity of symptoms that you already have, if you have another heart condition.

Heart attacks are a real risk they take many lives every day, and most people do not know all the symptoms. Fortunately, now that you have read this article, you do. This knowledge will allow you to detect a heart attack much more quickly as you will not take the signs and symptoms for granted. Who knows? Your new-found knowledge may even save a life. That life you save might even be your own.

Bringing Out The Best In Your Special Needs Students

Every student has the potential to succeed. But in a traditional classroom, it can be harder for students with special needs to tap into that potential.

Special needs students’ success can be limited by the unique challenges they face. It can require a thoughtful effort from teachers to ensure that special needs students thrive in the classroom.

How can teachers help special needs students thrive? Offer them the support they with these tips for classroom success:

Create a Safe, Welcoming Class Environment
From how a teacher talks to the posters on the walls, make sure that all of the cues in the classroom are positive and accepting of diversity from day one. Be clear that all different kinds of people have unique gifts.

Be Clear and Consistent About Rules
Set classroom expectations early, and adhere to them consistently. When a student understands what is expected and can count on the consequences, good or bad, being the same every time, it offers an important foundation and sense of order.

Look for Students’ Strengths
Speak with the previous teachers of special needs students, and the students’ parents. Ask them about the child’s strengths and challenges. Also talk to each special needs student one-on-one—what do they perceive themselves to be good at? What do they perceive themselves to be bad at? These conversations can offer a wealth of information to give each student appropriate support.

Tap Into Students’ Interests
As you engage with students, learn about what their interests and passions are. Then, find ways to incorporate their interests into the lessons. For example, instead of a typical math problem about trains, can you make one about hockey for a sports fan?

Arrange Desks in Groups
When students are grouped in a way that encourages engagement, it can foster an inclusive learning environment. All students benefit when they interact with individuals who are different from them, but it can be especially helpful for special needs students, who will benefit from working together on class activities.

Show Students Their Career Potential
Students with special needs can struggle to see themselves fitting into the adult world, as there is very little imagery available in mainstream culture to model success for them. Encourage them by making links between their interests, strengths, and specific career paths. For example, a dyslexic student who loves art could find success as a graphic designer.

Break Large Tasks Into Smaller Goals
This can serve two purposes. First, it helps students who struggle to bring large tasks to completion a sense of accomplishment. It also helps teachers measure individual students’ productivity and pinpoint specific struggles.

Follow the IEP
Every student with special needs is required to have an IEP—an individual education plan. This document includes goals, objectives and support services specific to each child for their entire academic career. Knowing the IEP for each student helps teachers ensure they stay on track for their education goals.

Communicate With Parents
Keep parents and caregivers informed of what the class is learning, how their child is doing, and especially notify them of any problems or areas of concern. Working together with parents and caregivers can stem concerns before they become serious issues.

With Support, Every Student Can Thrive

Students with special needs may have face more challenges within the confines of a traditional classroom setting, but with patience and support, every student can find success. To help yours reach their potential, establish a positive, consistent learning environment and support their learning process with the appropriate tools, goals and interests.

How Wearing Your Cause Supports and Spreads Awareness

These days, almost every supports at least one cause. Whether you focus your time and energy on autism awareness, animal rights, finding a cure for cancer, or any number of other popular causes, chances are good that you have at least one t-shirt, wristband, or other item in your possession that expresses your favorite cause. You might think that wearing these items is just a good way to identify yourself to others, but did you know that there is actually a huge benefit to wearing your cause?

Daily Encounters

One of the most obvious ways that wearing your cause can do a lot to support it is by raising awareness in daily encounters. If you are wearing a cancer support wristband when you reach over to pay for your groceries, for example, the cashier and anyone behind you in line has ample opportunity to read what it says and take note of its color. That person might be spurred into looking up more about the cause, and might in turn donate money or volunteer time to help an organization that is involved in some way. The more people who donate and volunteer, the better off these organizations will be, and the more likely they are to get closer to a cure for cancer (or whatever other goal it is you might be supporting).

Wearing a t-shirt supporting your cause in public offers many of the same benefits, but may be even more noticeable to strangers you pass every day. Wear your shirt to work if your dress code permits, and you will be able to reach out to your coworkers and employers, who might even donate a hefty sum to your cause.

Raising Money

It is already clear how wearing your cause could influence others to donate money to its goals, but donning a t-shirt or wristband can also help raise money in other ways. For example, if you wear your cause on your shirt, someone might see it and think it is a shirt they might also want to wear. They might ask you where you got it, and you will then be able to direct them to the organization of your choice, where they can purchase a shirt of their own. In this way, you can help direct people to your cause simply by making a fashion statement!

No matter what your cause may be, you can do a lot for it simply by wearing it with pride. Show off where you stand on the most important matters in your life by wearing a shirt, wristband, or necklace, or even putting a sticker or magnet on the back of your car. Whichever way you choose to express your cause, know that you are helping it more than you might realize by bringing it into the public awareness. If you are even more devoted to your cause, you might even consider selling or giving shirts and wristbands to your friends and family to help increase visibility even more!