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Running Head: CREATING AWARENESS ON AUTISM SPECTRUM 1

Autism Spectrum

Awareness, Education and Inclusion

Juliene Duran, Lisen Lalwani & Josefine Laschinski

Student ID: 150886, 150770 & 163503

Social Work and Development

Faculty of Arts and Science

University of Aruba

Lecturer: Nicole Hart & Marushka Andrews

Advocacy, New Media and Change

Final Assignment: Advocacy Campaign Plan and New Media Output

December 22nd, 2019

CREATING AWARENESS ON AUTISM SPECTRUM 2

Table of content Advocacy Campaign Plan 3

Introduction & advocacy issue 3

Target Analysis and Target Group(s) Profiling 5

Advocacy Plan Objectives 7

Advocacy Strategies and Solutions 10

Message Strategy 13

New Media Output 16

New Media Strategy 16

New Media Planning & Budget 18

Monitoring and Evaluating the Plan 29

Conclusion 39

References 40


Advocacy Campaign Plan

Introduction & advocacy issue

“Imagine you were in a foreign, noisy and crowded city at night, not understanding the

language spoken. Recognizing only a few words but not really comprehending situations taking

place around you, wanting to express a need for help but no being able to. This experience may

begin to help you / us relate to what a child with Autism feels on an ordinary day” - Unknown.

This quote explains and gives an idea of our advocacy issue in short but before we go in detail it

is important to know a clear definition of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism is a lifelong, non

progressive neurological disorder. The word Autism means a developmental disability

significantly affecting verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction. The classic

form of autism involves a triad of impairments in social interaction, communication and the use

of language. Limited imagination is reflected in restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of

behaviour and activities (Autism Awareness Centre, 2018). According to the Center for Disease

Control and Prevention in the United States (2019) 1 in 59 children has been identified with

Autism Spectrum Disorder. It is 4 times more common among boys than girls and a diagnosis

can be done before the age of 3. According to Rocheline De Cuba, infant mental health

specialist, the results are almost the same on Aruba with 5.3 children out of 100 and where she

herself diagnose almost 6 children per week.

Autism Spectrum is an invisible disability that a child or individual has to struggle

with every day of his/ her life. He or she is expected to act normal, to behave normal because he

or she “looks normal”. An individual with Autism or any other person cannot change the fact

that this is a disability incurable. However, we as a community can bring changes as to how the

community view, treat and include these extraordinary people. It is important and our duty to


help bring awareness, educate the community and most importantly bring positive changes that

leads to inclusion.

In this paper the following will be discussed: introduction and advocacy issue, target

group analysis, objectives, strategies, solutions, message, new media strategy, new media

planning and budget, new media output, monitoring and evaluation, recommendations and

conclusion. Throughout this paper, we want to focus on people in the community not being able

to include children with ASD in the community due to lack of knowledge, tools and skills. Not

being aware or having sufficient knowledge on this topic leads to exclusion or even

discrimination in the community regarding this target group. For that reason we want to discuss

the importance of informing the Aruban community about children Autism Spectrum Disorder


(ASD) as well as the different factors or issues that surround those with ASD, such as the lack of

parental and community acceptance; the absence of school support (teachers) and equal

education inclusion; and the lack of tools and educative workshops as well. Not only it is

important to identify the Aruban community's beliefs, attitudes, and misinformation on the issue,

but to also be able to educate and persuade the community to set aside their existing ideas and

replace or adapt them into new ones (Ezell, 2001, p. 118).

Target Analysis and Target Group(s) Profiling

Because in the community of Aruba there is little understanding for people with Autism

Spectrum Disorder we focus on people in the environment of the child. People who the child

encounters in their daily lives or spend most of their time with, such as caregivers (parents,

family members and teachers) and the community in general. This target group will be the agents

of change. The target group range from ages 5 to 59. According to Central Bureau of Statistics

Aruba (2019) most individuals in the community of Aruba ranges between the ages of 5 and 59.

As mentioned before, it is difficult for a child with Autism to change the fact that he/she has a

disability. It is our duty as a community to make changes and make the child feel accepted and

included.

When talking about caregivers Hoefman (2014) explained that meeting the high care

demands of affected children requires much time, effort and patience. This often results in

psychological distress, depression, anxiety and other mental or physical health problems among

their parents. While parents struggle with finding balance with their personal life and the

disability of their child, it becomes difficult to give the proper attention or involvement in the

child's life. Sometimes the parents do not even have the right tools on how to deal with this

situation and not surprisingly, they often feel strained by caregiving. This also counts for family


members who are also caregivers of the child. Furthermore, when looking at the community we

want people to acknowledge, accept, but also understand and include. But all of this can not

happen without providing the right information and eventually tips and tricks on how to interact

and communicate with children with ASD.

Sometimes when we are grocery shopping in a supermarket and we see a child

misbehaving or acting out we immediately think it is the parents’ fault for not educating the child

but we do not have enough background information to judge properly. There are many other

examples that might be interpreted negatively in our community which can eventually change

with better information on ASD. That is why we want to provide information but also tools on

how to accept children with ASD in the community and provide a more included environment.

When looking at the age of parents, family members and the community it ranges from ages 5 to

59 according to Central Bureau of Statistics Aruba (2019). Category 5 till 59 includes most of

the population on the island and that is why we choose this age range as our target group.

Instagram and Facebook will be our main source of information. However, when looking at an

elderly over 50 year old Instagram would not be the best option. Furthermore, ages 5 till 9 is also

not ideal to target through social media. Maybe this group can be targeted through other

platforms such as television, radio, newspaper of even a campaign.

Target group

Age Characteristics Media Knowledge missing

Goal

Parents 18- 59 Caregiver Instagram and Facebook

How to deal, interact and include their children with Autism

To be knowledgeable and having the correct tools and behavior on how to interact with their child with ASD.

Family 5-59 Caregiver Instagram How to For family


members and Facebook

understand, interact and include children with Autism

members to be more aware of how to communicate, interact and include a child with ASD

Community

5-59 Environment of the child

Instagram, Facebook and other new media platforms (radio, tv, campaigns, workshops and schools)

How to understand, interact and include children with Autism

For the community to have knowledge and awareness on children with ASD but also how to communicate, interact with them instead of exclusion and discrimination.

Advocacy Plan Objectives

With this campaign we specifically want to accomplish CHANGED BEHAVIOR in the

community. To inform, eventually bring awareness, educate and include. Our short term goal is

to educate people on Autism Spectrum Disorder and also evaluate how far the community is in

knowledge and awareness regarding this topic and agencies related to this. This will be achieved

through Instagram using their features such as, stories, posts, questionnaires and Q&A’s (all of

this will eventually lead us to statistical data using the online platform). Furthermore, the amount

of followers, likes and shares will be monitored. The gathered information and data can be used

in reports to identify and have statistical data on how knowledgeable the Aruban community is

regarding Autism. Other agencies on the island can also use this data to provide courses,

programs, campaigns, as referrals or for their personal usage. In addition, our long term goals is

to have changed behaviors, more acceptance, understanding and inclusion in the community of

Aruba. This will be achieved through a video with tips and tricks on how to have a better social

interaction and eventually bring changes in people's behavior towards children with Autism. We

will monitor and measure through the amount of people that contacts/approach Brighter Future


through phone calls, drop in, email or Facebook message for guidance, help or information. We

did not mention Instagram in the long term goals because this is already being measured in the

short term goal mentioned above. Furthermore, increase the numbers of followers on social

media platforms, collaborate with other agencies to provide programs, workshops or campaigns

have programs or campaigns that is targeted at the same goal. As mentioned above we will use

Instagram and eventually a video as our new media concept. However, in this paper we will

focus only on Instagram as our new media platform.

Objective 1: Short term 6 months

To evaluate how knowledgeable and prepared the community of Aruba is on Autism Spectrum Disorder and how many people approach Brighter Future after the Instagram launch

Specific We want to evaluate how knowledgeable the community is on Autism Spectrum Disorder and then to further educate and provide more information about this topic through the Instagram platform.

Measurable Through questionnaires, quizzes and Instagram features we will collect the data on how people answer the questions. Instagram will give us a percentage on how many people answered the questions and got it right or not.

Attainable We will promote the Instagram app to gain followers through a press conference and exposure in other new media platforms (tv, radio and online articles) Boosting the account is also possible option to receive more followers. Furthermore, bi weekly post information using features of Instagram. During the first 6 months gain more than 800 followers.

Relevant Through Instagram features we will gain more knowledge and statistical data on how far and knowledgeable the community is regarding the topic. Out of this outcome we can evaluate the content that will be put out. The outcome can also be beneficial for not only brighter future but other agencies on the island.

Time Bound January - February: Launch Instagram page & new media promotion tourFebruary- March: reach 200 followers and provide bi weekly information on ASD using features of Instagram. Monitor and evaluate contents March- April: reach 400 followers and provide bi weekly information on ASD using features of Instagram. Monitor and evaluate contentsApril- June: reach 600 followers and provide bi weekly information on ASD using features of Instagram. Monitor and evaluate contents June- July: reach 800 followers and provide bi weekly information on ASD using features of Instagram. Overall evaluation of 6 months.


By the end of July 2020 (short term - 6 months).

Objective 2: Short term 6 months

To bring awareness by informing and educating the caregivers and the community of Aruba on Autism Spectrum Disorder and the inclusion of children with ASD.

Specific We want to provide relevant information, tools and techniques on how to guide, communicate and include children with Autism in the community.

Measurable We will measure and evaluate this by conducting a survey (stories/ Q&A’s) on Instagram to the audience to see if the information provided was helpful and useful. (For example: Was this page useful, did you learn something new? What do you want to change about the page? What type of content would you want to see more often?) Furthermore, Brighter Future can evaluate if they got more participants or people approaching them for help.

Attainable We will have to promote our Instagram page and use evidence based research1 to provide the right information but also tips, tools and techniques.

Relevant This will eventually help Brighter Future and other agencies to reach more people and bringing knowledge to a larger target group. Furthermore, this will spark up conversations between people and eventually a more accepted and included community for children with ASD.

Time Bound January - February: Launch Instagram page & new media promotion tourFebruary- March: reach 200 followers and provide bi weekly information, tips and tricks on ASD using features of Instagram. Monitor and evaluate contents. March- April: reach 400 followers and provide bi weekly information, tips and tricks on ASD using features of Instagram. Monitor and evaluate contentsApril- June: reach 600 followers and provide bi weekly information, tips and tricks on ASD using features of Instagram. Monitor and evaluate contents June- July: reach 800 followers and provide bi weekly information on ASD using features of Instagram. Overall evaluation of 6 months. By the end of July 2020 (short term - 6 months).

Objective 3: Medium-long term 2 to 3 years

To evaluate if the advocacy campaign and new media strategy reached the general public and brought changed behavior in the caregivers and the community.

Specific We want to evaluate if the advocacy campaign has reached at least 40 % of our

1 Evidence Based Research: information based on research and data and not on opinions


target group but also to evaluate if this brough changed behavior in the community.

Measurable Brighter Future will measure how many new participants was received and how many people approached Brighter Future for more information and guidance during the 6 months. This work can be done by volunteers (UA students) or through an excel sheet that can be updated each month on what platforms the new participants used to contact brighter future and for what reason (information, guidance or services)

Attainable By letting followers on Instagram or even new participants at the agency fill in an online survey on how and where they received the information and if it was relevant, useful or not. This can be monitored through survey monkey/ google forms that makes it much easier to collect the data.

Relevant This will make us and the agency evaluate if the advocacy campaign was successful or not and if the same strategy can be used again or for other agencies to use

Time Bound By July 2022 evaluate if there was a 40% increase in new participants contacting Brighter Future

Advocacy Strategies and Solutions

When perceiving the issue, it is essential to take into consideration how it will be framed

or portrayed within the community as well as what can be the possible solutions that will further

have an impact on tackling the main concern/issue. In this case, not only it was important to

elaborate on a specific advocacy strategy, but it also was crucial to establish well-developed

solutions that could later on be beneficial for the community as a whole.

“One of the things that members of the helping professions have in common is the desire

and willingness to make a difference within the community” (Ezell, 2001, p. 5). We as future

social professionals perceive advocacy as a way to represent, defend, intervene and support those

individuals, groups, or communities that somehow are being marginalized within the Aruban

community. Our aim in engaging in such advocacy campaign is to secure or retain social justice

especially amongst the group of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Hoefer, 2015, p. 3). In


addition, with great pride and joy, we are advocating to create an equal community to pursue

these children’s potential; ensure total accessibility, effectiveness, flexibility, and efficient

services; protect and establish their individual rights; eliminate or change the negative or

unethical impact that others have on them; and make sure that intervention is being used to meet

these children’s needs as well as guide them to achieve their goals within the Aruban community

(Ezell, 2001, p. 6).

In order to ensure a well-developed advocacy plan/campaign based on the above-

mentioned ideals, it is essential to take a specific advocacy strategy as the key beginning point to

aim for making a difference. When looking at our issue which is, “The Understanding,

Acceptance and Inclusion of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Aruban

Community”, the most suitable advocacy strategy that supports and fits this issue, is the

Community Advocacy. This strategy will guide us to fulfil one of our targets which is to inform

the Aruban community regarding children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) along with

different issues surrounding them.

Based on the chosen advocacy strategy, there is one specific related tactic we will be

using in order to bring our advocacy plan/campaign alive into the Aruban community. Such

tactic or tool is entitled to be the world’s best technological advancement throughout history, the

internet. By using this exceptional tool, we will be able to “branch out from individual


communication to mass communication” aiming to reach a larger audience. This is why for this

plan we specifically want to focus on the Aruban community. In addition to this, because of the

extensive use of the internet, people have a great reliance on electronic media (or social media)

due to the fact that most sources of information are now available online (Hoefer, 2015, p. 150-

151). Taking into consideration the essence of distributing our advocacy plan/campaign through

the internet or social media, we established that the most influential and fitting social media

platforms to deliver our advocacy message are Instagram and Facebook. Especially taking into

account the targeted population, age group, as well as the established goals we want to achieve

through this advocacy journey.

In order to have a better overview on how the community advocacy in conjunction with

the social media tactic will work, we established a small framework (See framework). For

example, by distributing different sources of information about ASD through Instagram or

Facebook, the public or social media users will mostly be informed about Autism in general as

well as be aware of the different issues surrounding children with ASD. Based on this, the public

will later on acquire a new sense of opinion towards the issue which will motivate them to adapt

and establish new beliefs and thoughts about children with ASD and understand, accept, and

include them within the Aruban community more easily.

Framework.

Information → Instagram/Facebook → Public opinion → Decision Making → New beliefs/thoughts

Moreover, as it was mentioned before in the advocacy plan objectives, there is one

specific new media idea we are planning to execute to evaluate the community’s knowledge and

awareness on people or in this case, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In order to


develop such an idea or concept, we will be working with various Instagram features to make

Instagram stories (videos) and quizzes/questionnaires based on ASD and measure the knowledge

and awareness users have on the topic. It is easier said than done however, it all comes together

with the exact planning and commitment to illustrate this creative new media idea.

Message Strategy

In order to make our advocacy vision more realistic and powerful, it surely needs a strong

message to support the advocacy strategy as a whole. Therefore, it is important to have a

concrete overview of the possible misconceptions and competing frames within the Aruban

community to be able to formulate such emotive message.

Possible Misconceptions and Competing Frame. According to Ezell (2001), “a

frequent source of misinformation is the ignorance about other cultures or minority groups that

pervade society as a whole. Negative stereotypes and evaluations are mostly based on

comparisons to the behaviors and values of members of dominant cultures or community”

(p.118). In the case of Aruba, this is no different. It seems that the Aruban community also has a

negative perception when it comes to children or individuals in general with Autism Spectrum

Disorder (ASD). Even though a small amount of people within the community are more aware of

the disorder itself, they still do not understand, accept, or include these individuals with ADS

within the Aruban society (Uleike Tromp, Brighter Future Aruba, 2019). To further elaborate,

once something is perceived negatively in Aruba, it becomes an ongoing taboo that will prevail

within the community itself no matter what. If someone with ASD tries to integrate or involve

him/herself in a social or community activity, they will mostly be discriminated and deprived

from participating due to their “disability” or “mental disorder”. In addition to this, in Aruba it is

believed that children with ASD should get a specialized education rather than attend a regular


school due to their academic and social performance. This is one of many misconceptions and

ideas that the Aruban community has on children/individuals with ASD as a whole.

Moreover, it is important to add that besides Brighter Future Aruba, there are other

agencies or organizations that are striving to advocate for those individuals with Autism

Spectrum Disorder. These are e.g., Centro di Desaroyo Special, Desaroyo y Stimulacion Special

Aruba (CEDES); Fundacion Autismo Aruba; and Stichting voor Verstandelijke Gehandicapten

Aruba (SVGA). They all focus on bringing awareness and educating the Aruban community on

ASD through a variety of videos, autism campaigns, walkathons, services, resources and social

media in general. However, it may seem like a lot, but it surely is not enough to change Aruba’s

misconceptions of children/individuals with ASD. Especially because all of these organizations

tend to engage and focus more on the disorder on a specific date which is April 2, the

international Autism Awareness Day. There is no doubt that they are still committing in

embracing Autism within the Aruban community and educating those who are openly willing to

learn and further advocate for the affected target group.

Formulation (Framing) of message. Our main target group is those within the Aruban

community that actively uses the social media platform of Instagram. According to Clement

(2019), more than half of the Instagram population worldwide are ages between 18 and 44.

While targeting this particular group (between 18 and 44), the main goal is to bring awareness on

the importance of understanding, accepting, and including children with ASD within the Aruban

community, as well as portraying the different negative effects and consequences of stereotyping

these children. To further elaborate, it is clear that we are still missing a great part of the Aruban

community which consist of those between ages 45 and up. Because most of these individuals

have already developed their own ideas, beliefs, attitudes and perceptions, it is difficult to tackle


them through social media (Instagram) and change their whole concept and mindset regarding

ASD. They should indeed not be deprived of getting the opportunity to enhance their knowledge

about the issue. This is why by tackling the younger population the Instagram concept or even in

schools, they will be motivated to pass the word and bring awareness within their own families

and strive for a better developed future for children and individuals with Autism Spectrum

Disorder.

Message. Every week, six children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

(ASD) in Aruba. Be aware that one of them could be your friend, brother/sister, son/daughter,

student, or even your neighbor. Imagine how they would feel if they are not being understood.

Imagine how they would feel if they are not being accepted for who they are. Imagine how they

would feel if they are constantly being excluded from new life opportunities. It is important to

imagine and think about the different situations a child with Autism may be experiencing within

the community, especially here in Aruba. These children should be exposed to healthy and

participatory opportunities in which they could develop into potential and independent

individuals (or human beings) who have the freedom to live their lives as they desire. However,

we as a community must take action and start making a change and integrating those with ASD

in OUR lives.


New Media Output

New Media Strategy

As a platform to spread awareness, we decided to focus on Instagram. Instagram has been

a fast growing market for years and no other social network is growing faster than Instagram. In

addition, the platform attracts a lot of companies for high-quality and high-return advertising

campaigns. From July to November 2017, the number of companies using Instagram increased

from 15 million to 25 million. In addition, the number of monthly active advertisers on

Instagram more than doubled from March to November 2017 (Argawal, 2018). Furthermore,

Instagram has a rich set of formatting and media options, from story ads to photo ads, questions

and answers and more. Instagram marketing is multi-faceted and that is why we choose to use

Instagram as our platform because it gives an amount of options in an attractive and user friendly

way. As mentioned above our target group is the community of Aruba ranging from 5 to 59 years

old. To target the whole community might be a challenge however, according to Statista (2019)

as of November 2019, 36.5 percent of U.S Instagram users were between the ages of 25 and 34.

The second largest user group was 18 to 24 year old with a 21.6 percentage. The third group is

35 to 44 with 18.8 % and 10.9% ranging from ages 45 to 54. Other age groups in the community

can be targeted differently through other social media platforms such as; radio, tv, campaigns,

workshops and schools. Due to the fact that most of our target group uses Instagram because it

is the “latest trend” our focus will be mainly on Instagram as our platform.

We will use Instagram’s following features: Instagram stories that includes information

about ASD, questions and answers to be engaged with the followers, videos and posts.

When talking about types of stories we take into consideration the following strategies:

Text: Here we can create a short text with a photo background or a monochrome

background. One way to keep the content appealing and outstanding is to use features like polls,


quizzes or Q&A that will make the story content interesting and interactive by allowing

followers to interact with the content. Thereby, the data collected from the story viewers can

later be used to customize further content.

Livestream: Live videos are not played in the feed, but is linked to Instagram

stories. In this way, the Instagram Stories area gets even more attention and Instagram tries to

establish live videos as an integral part of stories. Over 300 million people use Instagram stories

every day. They are thus in the area in which Instagram live videos are played. The visibility is

thus significantly higher than with a Facebook live video (Firsching, 2017). Within the

livestream we ourselves or people affected by Autism can answer questions in real time.

Posts including photos and videos. With this feature we are able to post several creative

ideas and contents to make our page more attractive. The idea is to keep in mind the colors of

Autism such as; blue, red and yellow. Furthermore, we can post pictures including various topics

such as “through the eyes of a child with Autism”, facts vs fiction, tips and tricks and real life

stories. Videos can also be posted for example; professional experience with Rocheline de Cuba

(infant mental health specialist) and the director of Brighter Future. Furthermore, collaboration

with other pages is also possible. We can have posts about different organizations on Aruba

working with the same target group and how they view the situation on Aruba but also providing

professional tips and tricks on how to include children with Autism in the community.

Instagram gives us a wide variety of options to provide informative content in a creative

and innovative way. It is also a trendy new media platform that most of our target group use on a

daily basis. As an agency it is also important to be updated with the latest trend and that is why

we choose Instagram as our new media platform.


New Media Planning & Budget

In order to make our new media strategy more visible and realistic to achieve, we

developed a new media planning to have a specific overview on how we tend to present our idea

to the Aruban community through the Instagram concept. In addition to this, it is important to

mention that a new media budget was also established to have a concrete and sustainable

planning as well.

New Media Planning. For the new media planning of this advocacy plan, we focused on

using a weekly schedule or planning, each day consisting of different interactive and informative

activities. Therefore, by using a mood board, we were able to design a specific outline of two

weeks including dates, activities, questions, monitoring and evaluations as well (See week 1 and

2).


Week 1: https://app.milanote.com/1IzGmC15Z8uDel


Week 2: https://app.milanote.com/1IET0v16xxgy5G


New Media Budget. There are several budgets provided by Instagram itself. Firstly,

there is the daily budget which focuses on how much will be spent on average on delivering ads

every day during the campaign’s set dates. Secondly, the lifetime budget that specifically focuses

on the amount willing to spend over the duration of the Instagram campaign. Furthermore, taking

into consideration both types of budgets, in our case the best suitable option will be the lifetime

budget. This is ideal because the agency can delegate how much they are willing to spend on

each post or which post they want to promote more. This also gives the agency flexibility

regarding the budget. Furthermore, Instagram also offers delivery optimizations such as;

● Conversations (when optimizing for conversions, ads will be delivered to the

people who are the most likely to convert).

● Post engagement (Instagram ads will be shown to the people who might like,

comment or share the campaign).

● Impressions (ads will be delivered to as many people as many times as possible

while staying within the limits of the advertising budget. There will be no

optimization regarding who is more likely to engage with the ad)

● Daily unique reach (ads are delivered in a set to people up to once per day.

That’s a good way to keep the ad frequency under control.

● Brand Awareness (ads will be served to the people who are most likely to be

interested in the brand and offer. This could be an efficient way to acquire new

Instagram followers.

It is best to use these types of options because each is directed at a different target. Because we

will be using several of Instagram's features it is best to keep these types of budget in mind. With


Instagram you can pick your goal (attract more profile visits or promotion views). After this you

will choose your audience (age range) and set your budget and duration.

Furthermore, apart from boosting our Instagram content it is important not to forget about other

budget that we need to take into consideration such as; new media launch, tour, collaborations

with other agencies and professionals, an app developer or even a content designer.

Below is an overview on our budget

Quantity Amount in AWG

Amount in %

Create Instagram page 1 page Free 0.0 %

New media launch 1 x Afl. 800, - 14.63 %

New media tour 2 times at different radio stations, tv, new paper

Afl. 1500, - 27.44 %

Boost page Bi weekly for 6 months (12x)

10 dollars each boost = Afl. 210, -

3.84 %

Boost posts/ contents Bi weekly for 6 months 3 times a week (72 x)

3- 5 dollar each post = Afl. 378, - / 630,-

11.52 %

Boost followers Bi weekly for 6 months 3 times a week (72 x)

3- 5 dollar each post = Afl. 378, - / 630, -

11.52 %

Create bi weekly content Volunteers / interns

Free 0.0 %

Professionals for video interviews

Collaborations (token of appreciation)

Afl. 100, - 1.83 %

Collaboration with agencies / pages

Collaborations (token of appreciation)

Afl. 100, - 1.83 %

Volunteers 2- 5 Free 0.0 %


Creative content designer

1 Afl. 1000, - 18.29 %

Total 4970

Unforeseen costs 497 10 %

Grand Total Afl. 5467, - 100%

New media output

Micro-level. Our Instagram campaign should educate individuals about ASD to get an

idea about what it is, how many people are affected, how it is shown and how it can be

diagnosed. Therefore, we will create informative stories that catch the reader's attention.

Through explaining signs of Autism caregivers and the community who have a suspicion that a

child may be affected can then make use of the information provided but also approach agencies

and facilities provided through our Instagram page. This makes people more aware and cautious

as to where and who to approach.

Mezzo-level. Empower teachers and students to have a class discussion to educate

about Autism. Children and adolescents with Autism often irritate their classmates in everyday

life, for example by misinterpreting their linguistic utterances or unfamiliar behavior patterns

demonstrate. This leads to misunderstandings between the student affected by autism, classmates

or even the teachers. Rejection and unconscious exclusion can be the outcome. Class discussions

with the intention of backgrounds of an autistic impairment can be a preventive way of

minimizing misunderstandings. Moreover, uncertainties and fears of contact can be reduced and


the development of mutual awareness can be supported. Mutual understanding is the prerequisite

for a lasting mutual acceptance. A class discussion offers many opportunities for an improved

relationship with classmates (due to the promotion of mutual understanding, the creation of a

"cognitive antipole" and a reduction in competition), however, due to the threats (victim,

reduction) an intensive preparation. The prerequisite for addressing the limitations of autism is

the consent of the pupil with autism spectrum disorder and his parents. Other groups we want to

address in order to make every-day-life easier for a child with Autism are people in the

community such as; are police officers, who can improve their skills when having a case with an

affected child, as well as bus drivers, nurses, supermarket staff and other people you may

encounter within a day.

Macro-level. The described aims will positively affect Aruba’s society as a whole

by gaining more skills and knowledge regarding to autism. Thus, the affected people have the

chance to be more integrated and participating in society. In turn that will have a positive effect

on the society by making it more open and diverse as well as providing the chance for those

within the community to learn from children/individuals with Autism. Furthermore, another

long-term advantage or benefit, is the impact this will have on making or adapting current

policies to ensure the total inclusion of children and people in general with Autism within the

Aruban community. By taking this into consideration, children will have the opportunity and

accessibility to reintegrate in regular schools as well have the chance to partake in extracurricular

activities without being discriminated against or set aside.


Monitoring and Evaluating the Plan

Advocacy Map

Resources Tasks Short-term Outcomes

Medium-term

Outcomes

Long-term Outcomes

Ultimate Social Justice-Related Outcomes for

Society

Social Media - Open a new Instagram account for the agency involved (e.g. Brighter Future Aruba).

- Create and design the possible content of bi weekly posting schedule.

- Develop/ establish an official posting schedule bi weekly based on different potential topics regarding Autism.

- Launch the Instagram concept through a

- Instagram users will start following the new account.

- Posting content will be ready to share and launch.

- People will start getting to know the agency’s purpose, mission, and vision.

- A launch party inviting new media sources to promote the app and for the community to get engaged (example: FADA)

- Based on the continuous interactions on Instagram, Short videos of tips and tricks can be later on implemented to expand the established posting content.

- Develop a new content repertoire based on other related topics to Autism Spectrum Disorder, such as other possible mental or physical disorders (dual diagnosis).

- The Instagram account/profile will reach a great amount of the Aruba community or population using Instagram.

- Users will participate and engage more.

- A similar campaign (quizzes/questionnaires, stories, videos), can be developed on another social media platform such as Facebook.

- This can become a manner to

- Have brought awareness by proof of educating those using Instagram regarding children with ASD as well as get a proper view on how knowledgeable the community is regarding the topic itself.


television interview with TeleAruba (e.g. unrato serca Dika, Nos Mainta), as well as have an interview through mass media, such as 24ora or Noticia cla.

further conduct research (thesis?) on a larger scale of the Aruban perception regarding Autism as a whole and can be used for other agencies on the island.

Social Media Users

- Partake in the different quizzes/questionnaires and other activities posted on Instagram (and Facebook?).

- Get involved and share the posted Instagram (e.g. stories) on their own accounts to spread awareness and educate others.

- Users will be motivated and willing to complete the posted quizzes as well as ask possible questions to dig deeper on the topic of Autism.

- Users will actively engage and follow all Instagram posts that will guide them in gaining a deeper insight on the topic.

- Users will be aware of the topic, the different factors that are positively and negatively affecting children with Autism, and the current social situation

- Users will be aware of the benefits of measuring their knowledge about Autism.

- Also providing information on how to communicate, interact, accept and include children with ASD in the community.

- To bring more knowledge, information and awareness on the topic but also provide tips, tools and techniques on how to interact and include children with ASD in the community.


regarding the topic as well.

Community & caregivers

- Learn about the importance of understanding, accepting, and including children with Autism within the Aruban community.

- Participate in completing the Instagram quizzes and share pop-up posts/stories.

- The Aruban community and caregivers are aware on how to understand, accept, and include children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

- The community and caregivers will start to gain knowledge and understand the different factors surrounding Autism itself.

- The Aruban community will be willing to give children with Autism Spectrum Disorder more opportunities and inclusion within the community.

- The community shows interest in completing the quizzes and actively engaging following the Instagram posts.

- A significant part of the community and caregivers are aware of understanding, accepting, and including children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

- The community and caregivers will be open and aware of the essence of creating new integrative opportunities for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Aruba, which will be further known through the different available opportunities that emerge after launching the Instagram concept.

Brighter Future Aruba

- Create the Instagram account to post the essential content.

- Manage the Instagram account based on their availability to post about the topic on

- A Brighter Future Aruba will be more involved and present with the Aruban community.

- Have a better view of Instagram users’ knowledge regarding ASD.

- Brighter Future will gain an increasing amount of new clients/participants

- Parents come more freely to the Director of Bright Future to seek for guidance or services

- In the long run advocacy campaign should not

- The community and caregivers will be more aware of the services and guidance of Brighter Future Aruba and also get to know about other agencies that also may be working in collaboration with a Brighter


a weekly basis.

- Educate the Aruban community (users) based on their bi weekly activities on Instagram.

- Make users more aware of the different factors surrounding the topic of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and how the community can work together to strive for societal inclusivity of children with ASD.

be necessary due to the great knowledge and acceptance that the community has created.

Future Aruba.

- Other agencies can view Brighter Future’s campaign as an inspiration to develop their own. Furthermore, bring statistical data to the Aruban community in regards to ASD and the services given.

Interns or volunteers (a Brighter Future)

- Help a Brighter Future Aruba managing the Instagram account, keep track of the posts and collect the needed data for further

- Create creative and sustainable concepts for their Instagram page

- Help a Brighter Future’s director in the process and

- That this becomes a task for interns to develop their advocacy level and how to keep a social media running and active.

- Having interns and volunteers make space for new and creative contents

- Interns are more aware on how to

- To be active members of a Brighter Future Aruba; conduct the needed research to support the posts; create creative and sustainable concepts for the Instagram profile/page; and


monitoring and evaluation purposes

bring new creative ideas that will further positively benefit the community.

develop new media concepts and can promote this in a new way to the community.

share possible recommendations to enhance the posting activity and content as well.

Stakeholders: Fundacion Autismo Aruba, Stichting voor Verstandelijke Gehandicapten Aruba (SVGA), & CEDES Aruba.

- Collaborate with Bright Future for the instagram or even a campaign regarding the topic ASD

- This brings collaboration between agencies working towards the same goal but also this platform can be used for other agencies to share information

- For the future this can be a sustainable project were other agencies make take into consideration or it as an example

- A community working together in collaboration with different agencies to bring more inclusion.

- Together agencies can collaborate and provide workshops programs or campaigns in the community to reach a larger scale of people in the community

- Together agencies can collaborate and make a bigger impact such as; make policies for people with ASD and more inclusion in schools, supermarkets, hotels etc.

Monitoring and Evaluation of the Advocacy Plan


Tasks Indicators Means of collection/

verification

Frequency e.g. per year,

month, etc.

Responsible person(s)

Create/design the Instagram account to have the social media platform available to post the gathered information.

- Have at least 85% of the Instagram profile/account fully developed and designed to further start gaining followers.

- Have a meeting to verify the Instagram’s design and content based on Brighter Future Aruba and other involved organizations.

- Take meeting minutes.

- Evaluate the Instagram page.

- Consult with board members/ community members/UA volunteers/ interns on their thoughts for this New Media Idea to spread awareness and information.

Process evaluationMeet 4 times a year to evaluate the Instagram page and have an overview of what needs to change or be adapted in terms of the profile information, such as new collaborators.

- A Brighter Future Aruba: Director, staff members, volunteers or interns.

Gather all the needed information and data (research) that will serve as content for the Instagram posts and stories.

- Have a list of all the evidence-based content information/data for the Instagram stories and posts (questions, statements etc.).

- Have a (team) meeting to discuss the Instagram content and information to-be posted.


- Create a monthly document/file to

Process evaluationThe team will meet at least once a month to evaluate and see if there are new content or topic ideas based on Autism Spectrum Disorder to be posted.

- A Brighter Future Aruba: Director, staff members, interns or volunteers.

- Involved stakeholders: Fundacion Autismo Aruba, CEDES Aruba, or SVGA.


have an overview of the different contents and activities

- Evaluate the content/activities with a Brighter Future Aruba and other stakeholders involved and fill this in a document or excel to keep a record of the progress (followers, new clients).

Design the needed schedule, posters, images and other materials that will be shared and posted on Instagram.

- Have a list of weekly schedules, content, and activities that will be posted and shared throughout the Instagram page (Milanote).

- Create a monthly file with all the schedules, images, videos, links, and other needed materials.

- Evaluate the quality of the content and materials that will eventually be posted and shared. This can be done bi weekly by the followers to see what content they would like to see more often and what can be improved.

Process evaluationThe involved team will meet at least once a month to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the content and have an idea what and where to make changes or adapt for future purposes.




Recruit and collaborate with other social service delivery organizations working with children/individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), to share their knowledge, experience and support through the Instagram platform or account.

- Have at least two social service delivery organizations currently working with children/individuals with ASD, collaborating together with a Brighter Future Aruba.

- Meet with the involved organizations to establish a collaborative relationship and agreement to support a Brighter Future Aruba’s current Instagram concept (contract).


- Evaluate the possible support that the involved organizations could provide or help with.

- Create a list of these supportive tools in order to later (if needed) can be taken into account and be successfully used.

Process evaluation- The involved team or stakeholders will meet once every two months in order to ensure and secure their full support throughout the planning, and also be able to get their own perception, feedback, and comments regarding the Instagram concept, content and activities being posted as well.

- A survey can be done in order to get an overview on how satisfied these stakeholders are.



Create Public Relations and marketing plan for launching the Instagram concept through the mass media.

- Have at least 75 % of all media on Aruba to promote the new Instagram page (tv, radio stations, newspaper and online articles) to make it a headline that everyone is

- Create a launch party at a Brighter Future Aruba to promote the new Instagram app and to inform the public and community about the objectives, purposes, what

Process evaluation- Evaluate the reaction of the community though how many followers was gained during the launching period.


- Involved stakeholders: Fundacion Autismo Aruba, CEDES Aruba,


aware of this new media concept

to expect and why it is important.

- Collaboration with other agencies can be beneficial to reach a larger population but also helping in promoting and making this a more meaningful and impactful advocacy campaign.

- Evaluate every month how many new followers were gained and keep this recorded to see the process.

or SVGA.

Monitoring and Evaluation of the Objectives

Objectives Monitoring Evaluation

1. To evaluate how knowledgeable and prepared the caregivers and the community of Aruba is on Autism Spectrum Disorder.

After our bi weekly posts have a list of questions for the followers to answer. Questions such as; - Were you satisfied with the information provided? - What content would you like to see more of?- Did you learn something new? - What can be improved?

After the 6 months campaign, do an online survey to see what the audience, followers and community thought about the Instagram page and what can be improved. Furthermore, to gather all contents provided on Instagram and see how many people answered the questions correctly or not, what was the target group, etc etc.

2. To bring awareness by informing and educating the caregivers and the community of Aruba on Autism Spectrum Disorder and the inclusion of children

After our bi weekly posts have a list of questions for the followers to answer. Monitor if our contents are informative and has an impact on the individual and made changed behaviors. Furthermore, to see what topics or contents

At the end of 6 months evaluate if there were new participants at a Brighter Future Aruba requesting for information, guidance or services. As well as, have an online survey for the new participants to fill in where


with ASD. the audience wants to see or learn more from.

they received the information, why they reached out to a Brighter Future Aruba and much more.

3. To evaluate if the advocacy campaign and new media strategy reached the general public and brought changed behavior in the caregivers and the community.

From the start of the launch and till the end of the campaign we will monitor the reaction of the individuals and see how many new participants has approached a Brighter Future Aruba.

The evaluation will help a Brighter Future Aruba evaluate if this campaign was beneficial for them and if it has brought more knowledge in the community, changed behavior, and also new participants for the agency itself.


Conclusion

We believe that with this advocacy campaign and new media concept we are sure to

reach our three goals. These are to evaluate how far in knowledge the community of Aruba is

regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), to bring awareness, information and education on

the topic that will eventually lead to the inclusion of children with ASD within the community.

Finally, to evaluate if the advocacy campaign and new media strategy has reached the general

public and brought positive changed behavior in the Aruban community. We believe choosing

instagram as our new media concept is innovative and going with the current trend. There are

several innovative and creative features on Instagram that will help us provide knowledge,

awareness but also educate to finally bring changes and inclusion in the community. Moreover,

by monitoring and evaluating this particular advocacy plan, the possible outcomes can serve as a

great motivation for other agencies within the Aruban community to carry out a similar advocacy

campaign. Not only did this assessment made us stand and strive for what we believe in, plan

and work effectively to reach our desired goals and objectives, but it also served as a voice to the

voiceless in the community of Aruba.


References

Agarwal. M. (2018, July). “7 hilfreiche Tipps, um Ihre Instagram-Ads-Kampagne zu Boosten”.

Retrieved from:

https://www.brandwatch.com/de/blog/instagram-ads-kampagne-boosten/)

Autism Awareness Centre Inc. Believe in change. 2019

https://autismawarenesscentre.com/definition-autism/ Accessed 17 Nov. 2019

Central Bureau of Statistics Aruba. (2019). Quarterly Demographic Bulletin 2019. Retrieved

from: http://cbs.aw/wp/index.php/2019/11/18/quarterly-demographic-bulletin-

2019/

Clement. J. (2019, November 20). “Distribution of Instagram users worldwide”.

Retrieved from:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/248769/age-distribution-of-worldwide-instagram-user

s/

Ezell. M. (2000, September 27). Advocacy in the Human Service. (1st ed.).

Boston, MA: Cengage Learning

Firsching. J. (2017, December). “Instagram Live - So funktioniert Livestreaming auf Instagram”.

Retrieved from: https://www.futurebiz.de/artikel/instagram-live/

Hoefer. R. (2015, August 1). Advocacy Practice for Social Justice. (3rd ed.).

England, UK: Oxford University Press

https://www.brandwatch.com/de/blog/instagram-ads-kampagne-boosten/

Hoefman, R., Payakachat, N., van Exel, J. et al. Caring for a Child with Autism Spectrum

Disorder and Parents’ Quality of Life: Application of the CarerQol. J Autism Dev

Disord 44, 1933–1945 (2014) doi:10.1007/s10803-014-2066-1. Retrieved from:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4167350/


Firsching. J. (2017, December). “Instagram Live - So funktioniert Livestreaming auf Instagram”.

Retrieved from: https://www.futurebiz.de/artikel/instagram-live/

Statista (2019). Distribution of Instagram users in the United States as of November 2019, by age

group. Retrieved from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/398166/us-instagram-

user-age- distribution/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/398166/us-instagram-user-age-%09distribution/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/398166/us-instagram-user-age-%09distribution/

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