World Autism Awareness Day: Shining a blue light on autism

If you are feeling a little blue today, there just may be a good reason. The world is going blue today to raise awareness about autism spectrum disorder. April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day, an annual event observed all over the globe.

Observed since 2008, World Autism Awareness Day shines the light on autism - literally. As darkness falls on April 2, more than 11,000 landmarks, buildings, churches, businesses and homes in more than 147 countries will go blue during its Light It Up Blue (LIUB) campaign.

According to the United Nations, “autism is a lifelong neurological condition that manifests during early childhood, irrespective of gender, race or soci-economic status.” According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects 1 in 68 children in America. Many with neurological differences often face obstacles, discrimination and stigmatization. President Barack Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation that says, in part:

“Americans with autism play an important role in our national story, and in their daily lives they embody the belief at the heart of our founding: that in America, with hard work and equal access, all people can realize their aspirations. Today, and every day, let us reach for a future in which no person living on the autism spectrum is limited by anything but the size of their dreams ‑‑ one in which all people have the opportunity to live a life filled with a sense of identity, purpose, and self-determination.”

Show your support by wearing blue or lighting up your home or business in blue today.