Until World Autism Awareness Day are 181 days, ie 5 months and 29 days.
In 2024 World Autism Awareness Day is on 2nd April (Tuesday).
There are seven official health-specific United Nations (UN) Days. One of them is April 2 – World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD). Many of us are not aware of the fact that people with autistic spectrum disorders surround us every day. April 2 is a great opportunity to find out more about them and their life.
Even though most people have heard about autism, many do not know what it really means. Autism is a lifelong neurological condition that is actually difficult to define, as autism spectrum disorder refers to a broad range of conditions. This is why there are many subtypes of autism and each person with autism may have different challenges and behaviors. Mostly, however, they are connected with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. Some people with autism or Asperger syndrome may require more support in their everyday life, while others may need less and have a completely independent life. On the other hand, those with autism often have really unique talents or a very high-IQ.
It is important for all of us to try to understand people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and learn to coexist with them. This is why the United Nations General Assembly decided to declare April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day, which aims at bringing the world’s attention to autism. All Member States of the United Nations, as well as various individual autism organizations around the world, are annually being encouraged to conduct campaigns and autism-friendly events connected with the annual theme of WAAD. Specific themes determined each year by the United Nations are focused on important autism-related issues, such as: “Employment: The Autism Advantage” or “Inclusion in the Workplace”.
Did you know?
The National Autistic Society, a British charity for autistic people, created a special day to let everyone show their support for those with the autistic spectrum. It is called a Onesie Wednesday – a day when by wearing a onesie or pajamas everyone can show that it is all right to be different and that we should not be afraid of it. In 2014 Onesie Wednesday coincided with World Autism Awareness Day.