All about World Autism Awareness Day: What it is and how to celebrate

World Autism Awareness Day is observed on April 2 every year. 

The day is used to spread extra awareness about autism, which affects so many Americans and individuals around the world. 

One in 36 children have autism spectrum disorder, according to the CDC.

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Learn more about World Autism Day and spread awareness today and every day.

World Autism Day is a day focused on "sharing stories and providing opportunities to increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism, fostering worldwide support," according to the Autism Speaks website.

The Autism Speaks organization spends the entire month of April sharing stories and helping to increase acceptance of people who live with autism. 

World Autism Day is celebrated around the globe to spread awareness about autism and those who live with it each and every day. 

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Autism, according to Autism Speaks, "refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication." 

The day is about learning more about autism and how the conditions and challenges affects individuals.

There are numerous ways to celebrate World Autism Day. 

You can add to your knowledge of autism by doing a deep dive into its history and building your overall knowledge. 

There are diverse collections of books to read about autism, including those written by individuals living with the disorder.

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Autism Speaks recommends some of the following books.

Another thing that you can do is help spread awareness. You can do this by donating to charities, attending events related to autism, participating in a fundraiser or using your voice to raise awareness yourself. Social media is a powerful way to educate people about a topic. 

Use your platform to share more information on the disorder, how to properly and patiently interact with autistic individuals, support families and more. 

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You can also wear blue clothing, the color associated with autism. 

World Autism Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007, according to NationalToday.com. Since then, it has been celebrated worldwide on April 2. 

The color associated with autism is blue. 

This color is a calming and accepting color, according to The Place for Children with Autism. Autism Speaks has their "Light it Up Blue" campaign each year that encourages people to wear the color in order to spread awareness about autism. 

The symbol for autism is a puzzle piece. Like the color blue, this symbol was made popular within the autism community by the Autism Speaks organization. 

Although there is no official symbol, the puzzle piece remains the most popular. Other symbols that have become popular through the years are the butterfly and the infinity symbol.