The United Nations decided to designate April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day in recognition of the right of every person to lead a fulfilling life while also respecting their freedom and rights. On this day, folks all around the world unite. Celebrate, show support, and, most importantly, fight for the rights of those who are autistic. Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental condition that causes social and communication impairments. The autistic society develops a theme each year to raise awareness of autism, give autistic people a sense of importance, and foster acceptance. The day is among the seven UN-designated official health-related holidays. We’ll talk about the history, importance, customs, theme, and celebration ideas for World Autism Awareness Day in this post.
The history behind World Autism Awareness Day
The word “autism” emanates from the Greek word “autos,” which appears to mean “self.” A developmental disorder known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition marked by communication and behavioural traits that cause difficulty for a person to interact and leads to constrained and repetitive behaviours. A psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, introduced the word “autism” for the first time in history in 1911 to identify a unique set of symptoms which were previously identified to be simple causes of schizophrenia.
In a similar sequence, it was in 1943 that Dr Leo Kanner, a paediatric psychiatrist, published an essay which classified autism as an emotional and social condition. In his “Autism Psychopathology,” Hans Asperger defined ASD as a condition affecting youngsters with normal IQ who faces difficulties in social communication and interaction abilities. These published articles were a significant contribution to the studies that helped distinguish autism in 1980 from schizophrenia. With the ongoing research and study on autism, the “UN General Assembly” established World Autism Awareness Day on April 2 annually through Resolution 62/139, which was introduced on December 18 2007. It was done to inspire countries to conduct activities and campaigns in making people aware of autism spectrum disorder as well as encourage studies aimed at finding innovative ways to achieve good health as well as inclusion.
And lastly, the American Psychiatric Society came up with the concept of ASD as a spectrum in the fifth edition of the Statistical and Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders in 2013 by including all subcategories of ASD and associated diagnoses into a single group, such as diverse characteristics, intensity, and explanation of the symptoms.
Significance of World Autism Awareness Day 2023
A new study published in Autism research indicates that around 100 in 10,000 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder around the world. The fact that the affected population is steadily growing and also has doubled in several nations over the past 20 years is concerning. For instance, in the United States, 1.5% of children had an ASD diagnosis as of 2017, compared to just 0.7% of all children in 2000. In India, about 1 in 100 children has autism disorder. As per one of the reports, 18 million people are battling autism. Early symptoms start to appear by the age of 3 and persist until adulthood, with some requiring lifetime care.
Children and adults with autism spectrum disorders experience a great deal of psychological stress since they cannot lead ordinary lives without assistance and care. It causes a lot of stress for both the affected and their caregiver(s). Lack of training for parents and other caregivers of the affected people makes the situation worse. There are also insufficient medical facilities. ASD places a financial strain on the affected person’s family in addition to an emotional one. Therefore, it is crucial to spread knowledge about the signs, consequences, and treatment of ASD so that those afflicted can receive the proper care or support they need to live a life of independence. With the assistance of governments, businesses, NGOs, as well as other key organizations, World Autism Awareness Day thereby gains importance through increasing global awareness about ASD. The day serves as a logistical and financial resource to support the worldwide Autism campaigns.
Traditional Activities
Some events have been a part of World Autism Awareness Day since its beginning. These actions demonstrate our commitment to and belief in the equality of rights and freedom of movement for autistic people. World Autism Awareness Day enables several public policy organizations and other groups to collaborate and expand on fresh efforts to inform and raise awareness. The Autism Speaks organization’s “Light It Up Blue” campaign is one of the projects. Blue is worn by those who want to show their solidarity with the cause and spread awareness. On this day, several buildings, including the White House, the US Empire States Building, and Niagara Falls, were light blue. Organizing educational and learning programs globally is one of the other initiatives. Together with the day itself, April as a whole is designated as Autism Awareness Month[1].
The theme for World Autism Awareness Day 2023
Around the world, efforts are made every April to increase public understanding of autism and raise money for organizations that assist the cause. More significantly, the month is devoted to promoting the acceptance of people with autism and other members on the spectrum. The National Autistic Society will once again promote World Autism Awareness Day in 2023, using colour as its chosen theme. It involves a brand-new challenge called the Spectrum Colour Challenge, where you’re urged to collect money by finishing any challenge with a colour theme. Neurodiversity should be portrayed as a spectrum of colours with subtle differences. While wearing any colour to express support for the autism community’s initiatives is not harmful, blue has traditionally been the colour associated with autism support on a global scale. On April 2, 2023, World Autism Awareness Day, we encourage you to wear or display rainbow colours to promote autism awareness and acceptance.
This World Autism Awareness Day, you can make a difference if you’re feeling creative or just want to keep things straightforward. The Spectrum Colour Challenge will be vibrant and entirely focused on the colour! The Global Autism Society is holding something similar to a virtual fundraising event so that people from various countries may easily participate, have fun, support the cause, and raise money at the same time. Together with the World Autistic Society, the United Nations is working to make the world more supportive of people with autism. All funds raised on this World Autism Awareness Day will be used to support and advocate for those with autism.
Ways One Can Celebrate World Autism Awareness Day
There are several initiatives through which anyone could be a part of the celebration of “World Autism Awareness Day” on 2nd April annually. The following are a few of the day’s activities:
- Donate: For the treatment of autism to be both affordable and accessible to the general public, there is a need for ongoing research in the field. In developed nations, the annual cost of treatment and other support for parents of autistic children can reach thousands of dollars. Many people in both developed and developing nations cannot afford this price, which highlights the importance of financial aid to support studies and other helpful activities. You can offer any amount towards the charity, regardless of how little or huge it is; it will undoubtedly assist in supporting the campaign.
- Take Part In Events Organised By Autistic Society: On World Autism Awareness Day, a variety of events are held, including talk shows, discussions, awareness campaigns, and fundraising campaigns. Keep yourself updated on such events in advance and take part as you are able. If the opportunity arises, you can plan a modest event in your business or community by bringing professionals with expertise in interacting with autistic people.
- Wear Blue: Having the class wear blue on Sunday is a symbolic gesture to recognise World Autism Awareness Day. The purpose of this is to draw people’s attention to the blue colour, which serves as the foundation’s theme colour for Autism Speaks. People are encouraged to wear blue to raise awareness of autism as part of the “Light it Up Blue” campaign. As a result, on April 2nd each year, the organisation is supported by numerous blue-themed events, promotional items, activities, fundraisers, and other such activities. Although you can also involve young children in Autism Awareness Day events, this is a wonderful way of introducing the main point (“Why do you believe we all wear blue today?”) and more.
- Organize a No-Bullying Campaign: Autism is a developmental condition that affects social interaction and communication. Regrettably, autistic children are easy to target bullies. You can launch an anti-bullying campaign in commemoration of World Autism Awareness Day by teaching kids about autism, how to comprehend autistic individuals, and, most importantly, how to act around them. You can get in touch with local schools and start a campaign to inform people about bullying, its effects, and how to defend those who are being bullied.
- Educate Yourself About Autism: Take it upon yourself to educate yourself and those around you about autism on this World Autism Awareness Day. There are movies available that explain the difficulties, intelligence, and behavioural patterns of an autistic person. Numerous books may assist you in learning everything there is to know about this condition and how to act in a way that will make them feel comfortable, respected, and particularly not left out.
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Conclusion
The purpose of the United Nations is to establish guidelines for maintaining global peace and prosperity. World Autism Awareness Day is one such campaign which aims to educate the public, support people with autism, and, most importantly, grant them the freedom and rights they are entitled to. Every year on April 2, a variety of activities and events are held around an UN-chosen subject to commemorate the day. On this day, people typically wear blue clothing or just tie a blue ribbon around their necks to show their support for the autistic community. We have given you all the information you need to understand the significance of and how to observe World Autism Awareness Day in this article. Are you not excited?
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