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This is the eighth year that UMMS joins thousands of organizations across the globe to shine bright blue lights in honor of the millions of individuals and families affected by autism. |
Central Massachusetts’ hub for autism research and treatment will once again “Light It Up Blue” for Autism Awareness Month. The annual Autism Awareness and Acceptance Celebration takes place at UMass Medical School from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday, April 7.
This is the eighth year that UMMS joins thousands of iconic landmarks, skyscrapers, schools, businesses and homes across the globe to shine bright blue lights in honor of the millions of individuals and families affected by autism.
Free and open to the public, the event features family-friendly activities. Kane’s School of Music will return with a popular drumming activity, which has been a hit with visitors for many years; Stepping Stone Community Theater will perform; and there will be yoga, karate and face painting. Representatives from community agencies will be on hand to provide information about the services they offer.
New this year is a focus on safety. According to the Kennedy Krieger Institute, roughly half of children with autism spectrum disorder attempt to run off from a safe environment, a rate nearly four times higher than their unaffected siblings or peers. This puts them in greater danger of becoming lost or getting hurt. It is imperative that their families are prepared for encounters with first responders.
The UMass Police Department will address this issue by providing fingerprint and identification kits for children attending the event. Officers from local first responder agencies, including the Worcester Police Department and Worcester Emergency Medical Services as well as the UMass and UMass Memorial Medical Center police departments, will be on hand to meet with families and friends. Visitors will have the opportunity to interact with the first responders, tour police cruisers and emergency response vehicles, and be photographed with them.
The Autism Awareness and Acceptance Celebration is sponsored by the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and its Child and Adolescent Neurodevelopment Initiative (CANDI) and the Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (CANDO) at UMass Medical School, and HMEA's Autism Resource Central. Light refreshments and pizza will be available. Email sandra.osborne@umassmed.edu for more information.
