Inspire launches Facebook campaign to raise awareness on World Autism Day

World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) which this year falls on 2 April, is a concept originally created by the United Nations in 2007, with the intention of raising awareness about Autism.

As part of the international efforts to raise awareness The Inspire Foundation will be organizing a Bake It Blue event on Facebook. Blue is the international colour chosen to represent Autism awareness, so for the month of April, the public is being invited to bake blue food, take photos of their creations and to post them on Inspire’s Facebook Page - www.facebook.com/inspire.malta.  “The intention is to have people ask questions about our blue cookies or blue cupcakes,” says Inspire Team Leader Yentl Spiteri, “so that we then get the opportunity to explain some things about Autism and raise as much awareness as possible.”

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects tens of millions of individuals globally. It is also referred to as the ‘Invisible Disability’ because there are usually no outwardly visible traits that make the condition easily recognizable. Every year, people with Autism, their families, and organisations who work with them team up with international entities to raise awarenss about the lifelong developmental disability, which affects how an individual communicates with and relates to other people. It also affects how individuals make sense of the world around them. 

Autism is a spectrum condition, which means that while all people with autism share certain difficulties, the condition will affect them in different ways. Statistics show that around 1% of the child population is on the Autism Spectrum, and 4 out of 5 children diagnosed are boys. Whilst there is no existing cure for autism, research has shown that early diagnosis is important as this allows intervention to commence at a young age, giving children the best chance to reach their full potential.

Inspire, the Foundation for Inclusion, has developed a range of specialised programmes that respond to the needs of individuals on the autism spectrum. These include the Early Years and Middle Years Structured Training and Education Programmes (STEP),  Specialised Training for Lifestyle Enhancement (STYLE) and Outreach which provide specialised intervention at dedicated centres, within the home and community. These specialised programmes are are the only local programmes that are recognized by the National Autistic Society’s Austim Accrediation Programme (UK). More recently Inspire’s Multisensory and Therapeutic Horse Riding programmes have also been accredited.

More information on our Autism Programmes can be obtained by contacting Inspire’s Parent Relations Manager - Charlene Borg on 20928100/12 or via email on [email protected]