Mayor Kent declares Monday April 2nd Autism Day in New Albany

New Albany Mayor, Tim Kent, declares Monday, April 2rd NA Autism Day. April 2nd has been World Autism Awareness Day for the past eleven years.

Now, New Albany will officially team up with communities all over the world to “light it up blue” in support of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). All citizens are encouraged to wear blue and display blue lights on porches, businesses, schools—anywhere to show support for our friends with ASD.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 1 in 68 people are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder every year. That statistic has stabilized in the last three years, but prevalence has greatly increased since 2000.

“An estimated 11,000 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder per year in the state of Mississippi” says Amy Livingston, Speech-Language Pathologist and Alderwoman of Ward 1. “The ‘Light It Up Blue’ movement is to spread awareness and to ‘shine a light’on Autism Spectrum Disorder as people who are neuro-developmentally different, not less than their neuro-typical developing peers.”

What is Autism? For more information, start here: http://www.autism-society.org/what-is/