World Autism Acceptance Week: How To Get Involved

Get involved in World Autism Acceptance Week to help change attitudes towards autism in society and raise funds to transform lives.

What is autism?

Autism is a lifelong disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. The definition has changed over the years as we learn more about the condition and how it affects people in many different ways. 1 in 100 people are on the autism spectrum – it can vary from people who need 24/7 support to people who have sensitivities to the senses e.g. sound or sight.

What Is World Autism Acceptance Week and why does it matter?

World Autism Acceptance Week is a campaign to help society understand what it’s actually like to be autistic – both the strengths you can have and how hard life can be at times. It runs each year around World Autism Awareness Day (2nd April).

Although many autistic people and families can have different support needs depending on where they lie on the spectrum, they still share many of the same challenges which include getting support from mental health, education, and social care services, and being misunderstood by people surrounding them.

Autistic children, adults, and their families just want to be understood, supported, and accepted in their communities, schools, and workplaces.  No-one should feel judged for being autistic or have to wait months or even years for a potentially life changing diagnosis, vital help, and support. Therefore, it’s important to create awareness, extinguish myths and improve support to make society work for autistic people.

Autism myths and facts

You may have heard about autism before, but do you know if what you learned is a fact or a myth? Explore what misconceptions and stereotypes people can have about autism, and learn the truth from young autistic people themselves to improve your knowledge of the condition.

Listen to Youth Voice

Listen to the many voices of autistic people, both old and young, to understand what they experience in life and what they think needs to change to create a supportive society.

Get involved

Whether it’s fundraising, taking part in events, supporting people you know with autism or even just improving your knowledge and understanding of the condition, there are many ways you can get involved with National Autism Acceptance Week!

Teaching resources

The National Autistic Society have compiled a suite of free learning resources for teachers to help secondary school students learn about autism and better understand their classmates. They can be very useful for any activities you might wish to plan around World Autism Acceptance Week, or as general learning at any time of year.