World autism Awareness Day is observed on 2nd April every year by United Nations (UN) member countries to raise awareness about autism and problems faced by people suffering from it.
Facts about World Autism Awareness Day:
On 18th December 2007, UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to designate 2nd April every year as ‘World Autism Awareness Day. First ‘World Autism Awareness Day’ was observed on 2nd April 2008.
- On this day, Autism organisations across the world, conduct activities aimed to raise funds, promote research, diagnosis, treatment and awareness creation for autism.
- Several Autism organisations across the world observe the month of April as Autism Awareness Month.
World Autism Awareness Day Theme 2017: ‘Toward Autonomy and Self-Determination’
- #lighitupblue: It is an international campaign aimed at creating awareness about Autism by involving popular architectural structures across the world.
- On 2nd April 2017, Qutub Minar in Delhi was lit up in blue coloured lights to observe the ninth edition of World Autism Awareness Day.
- White House in US, Sydney Opera House in Australia, Burj Al Arab in Dubai, Pyramid of Giza in Egypt were among the other important structures that were lit up in blue light.
What is Autism?
Autism is a complex neuro-developmental disorder, in which the person affected faces problems in communication, interaction and imagination. In medical parlance it is categorised as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which means that disabilities manifest in a range of combinations that may be mild or severe in nature.
- Signs of being affected appear in early childhood period – typically during initial 2-3 years.
- Though there is no certainty on causes of autism, but most of the researchers attribute it to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. In 2013, the estimated count of people affected by autism in the world stood at 21.7 million. Prevalence of autism is more in boys than girls.
National Conference on Autism, New Delhi:
The National Trust, a statutory body functioning under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has organised a National Conference on Autism on 3rd April 2017 in New Delhi. Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment, Mr. Thaawarchand Gehlot will inaugurate the conference.
- This conference which has been organised during the ongoing World Autism Awareness Month, is a part of 3-days training programme on Autism, organized by The National Trust in collaboration with AIIMS, Delhi.
- During this training programme, doctors will be trained to use International Clinical Epidemiologly Network (INCLEN) and Indian Scale for Assessment of Autism (ISSA) tools for issuing Disability Certificate to persons with Autism.
- Eminent experts and professionals associated with Autism will participate in the conference. Latest developments on this subject about diagnosis, treatment and other key issues will be discussed.
