Celebrating World Autism Month 2023
We celebrated World Autism Month this April!
We kicked off the month with World Autism Week starting on Monday the 27th of March and finishing up with World Autism Day on Sunday the 2nd of April. Throughout the month, we saw the community come together to acknowledge the strengths, achievements and uniqueness of people with Autism. From our Light Up the Spectrum Trail to creative fundraising events and igniting change in schools with our school packs, there was a range of ways everyone got involved this year.
Let’s jump into the highlights from the month!
#LightUptheSpectrum Trail
This year was our biggest Light Up the Spectrum trail to date! Starting on Saturday the 1st of April and continuing on World Autism Day, Sunday the 2nd of April. We partnered with over 30 of WA’s most well-known landmarks and buildings across the metro and regional area to light up the state in a spectrum of colour.
The trail made a bold statement about the importance of diversity in our community and brought us together to celebrate and recognise the strengths, achievements, and uniqueness of every individual.
To get the community involved we created a trail map to follow and encouraged everyone to join in our competition by sharing their snaps on social media.
A big thank you to everyone participated in the Light Up the Spectrum Trail and to all the landmarks across WA who got involved. Keep an eye out as we will be announcing the winner towards the end of the month!
Take a look at some of the snaps taken out on the trail!
Finish the Sentence Competition
During the month we asked the community to finish the following sentence:
“What I wish people knew about Autism so we can grow together is…”’
We received an incredible number of responses and couldn’t be more happy to share some of your many unique insights to help others learn more about the Autistic community, build understanding and ignite change.
Thank you to everyone who shared their answers with us, stay tuned for when we announce the competition winner soon!
Community Events
We hosted a range of events throughout April, packed with science, learning, and a creative splash! From scientists to artists and train enthusiasts – there was something for everyone.
We kicked off World Autism Month with our annual Scitech Sensory Evening and Understanding Autism presentation at WA Museum Boola Bardip. Towards the end of the month, we held a Quiet Tuesday morning for children ages 7 to 12 years at the Art Gallery of WA.
We also hosted two new events this month!
In collaboration with MetroNet and ALSTOM Australia, we held our first behind the scenes tour at the MetroNet Railcar Manufacturing and Maintenance Facility. Attendees had the opportunity to get up close and personal the assembly line which will deliver 246 new railcars, ask questions and take home a MetroNet goody bag!
On April 5th, Our AIM Employment Team hosted a webinar for professionals to highlight the importance of inclusive workplaces for individuals with Autism, and strategies and practices to support their inclusion.
You can find out more about what we got up to and see all the photos here!
Primary Schools Ignite Change
In the spirit of World Autism Week, our First Steps Early Intervention Team conducted a session about Autism at Leeming Primary School and Millen Primary School.
During these sessions, they read from the book ‘Brain Forrest’ and engaged everyone in the classroom with our handprint tree activity, celebrating each person’s unique strengths and how our brains are all different – engaging a conversation about igniting change.
It was incredible to see everybody get involved with the handprint tree activity and celebrating everybody’s strengths.
Fundraising to Ignite Change
It was fantastic to see a number of exciting fundraising events and activities held all over WA for World Autism Month. There were schools, healthcare centres, gyms and businesses getting involved to celebrate the month in extraordinary ways.
From dress up days to gym training sessions, individuals from all over the community got together to spread the message and inspire change in their own unique way.
Over World Autism Month, there were also plenty of downloadable resources including high school and primary school packs, tools to fundraise, and a guide to everything happening over World Autism Week.
Our Teams Got Creative!
No matter what department, we all share the goal of supporting and empowering individuals in everything we do. A number of teams across the Association came together during the month to catch up, celebrate and share their experiences supporting individuals with Autism. We reflected on what inclusion in our community means to individuals and families and how we can inspire and ignite change.
Thank you to everyone who celebrated this month! It was amazing to see so many incredible moments and watching the community learn and grow together through their own activities, fundraisers and educational events to ignite change!
We’d love to see what you got up to for World Autism Month with your friends, family and community! Send us your photos and stories to share across our channels at Communications@autism.org.au or tag us on social media!
Also check out our hashtags #IgniteChange and #LightUptheSpectrum on Facebook and Instagram to see what the whole community got up to over the month.
What’s Next?
Stay posted on our website and social media for any news and upcoming events!
