Light It Up Blue For Autism {April 2nd}

As many of you know my youngest son, Lucas, is on the Autism Spectrum. I’d be honored if you’d join me and Autism Speaks in the “Light It Up Blue” campaign to raise awareness for Autism.

Each April 2, Autism Speaks celebrates Light It Up Blue along with the international autism community, in commemoration of the United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day. Light It Up Blue is a unique global initiative that kicks-off Autism Awareness Month and helps raise awareness about autism. In honor of this historic day, many iconic landmarks, hotels, sporting venues, concert halls, museums, bridges and retail stores are among the hundreds of thousands of homes and communities that take part to Light It Up Blue.

Here are some ideas of how you can participate as an individual or family:

• Where blue clothing tomorrow
• Purchase a blue light bulb (Walmart and Home Depot stores have them) and change your porch light to a blue bulb
• Spread the word via social media by updating your Facebook status or tweeting out an Autism fact.
• Sign the petition to ask President Obama and Congress to develop and implement a comprehensive national plan to address autism.
• Participate virtually by taking photos on your smartphone and lighting them up blue with a festive picture frame. Email them, or share on your social networks to become part of the Light It Up Blue movement. (Get the app here)
• Make a donation to Autism Speaks

Here are some facts from Autism Speaks that you can share:

• Every 11 minutes, a child is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
• Autism now affects 1 in 88 children and 1 in 54 boys
• Autism prevalence figures are growing
• Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.
• Autism costs a family $60,000 a year on average
• Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases

If you participate I’d love to see pictures! Feel free to share them on the Making Time For Mommy Facebook page :)