World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognized day annually on April 2 alongside Autism awareness month which takes place for the whole month of April. To celebrate this, students were encouraged to show their support by wearing red this past Tuesday and advocating the importance of this cause. According to Autism Speaks, Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Autism affects an estimated 1 in 36 children and 1 in 45 adults in the United States today.
“Many people don’t get to know the students in the program but they strive to make friends like any other student at Champe,” Special Education teacher Shelly Canonico said. “Autism Awareness Month gives a chance for people to become informed on the different disorders and behaviors that make up Autism.”
