Old Main shone bright blue Wednesday night in honor of World Autism Awareness Day.
Just like the Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House and several other major landmarks across the globe, Old Main cast blue lights in the night sky as Autism Awareness month kicked off. This is the fifth year Shippensburg University has participated in the event, but the event has been ongoing since 2007 when the National General Assembly declared April 2 World Autism Awareness Day.
The event is used to help spread awareness as well as information about the disease as well as information about it. It also explains how to detect symptoms along with the importance of an early diagnosis. World Autism Awareness Day is also a time when the talents of autistic people are shown off at different events all across the globe.
Autism is known as a “spectrum disorder,” as the Autism Society’s website states. This means that while many people have autism, each person is affected by it differently and has autism to varying degrees.
The causes for autism result from different combinations of environmental and genetic factors. This can affect how a person copes with behavioral and social situations.
It is estimated that one out of every 68 births in the United States is a baby affected by autism. It is even higher for boys, which is one out of every 54. These results were a big part of the reason a spotlight fell on autism.
To help participate and raise awareness for this disease, talk to the information desk at the CUB about information packets, stickers and temporary tattoos.
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