Why April 2nd?

For more than a decade, the second of April has held a special meaning for the world, as the United Nations declared April 2nd in 2007 to be World Autism Awareness Day. Its roots go back to November 1, 2007, when the United Nations called for the establishment of a day to be a world autism day. The resolution was passed on December 18, 2007, when World Autism Awareness Day was designated as a holiday on April 2nd of each year. The first World Autism Awareness Day was held in the spring of 2008.

World Autism Day aims to draw the attention of all individuals and segments of society—including families of individuals with autism disorder, specialists, community members in general, and public and private entities such as schools, universities, institutions, ministries, and others—to familiarize them with the rights of individuals with autism spectrum disorder in all fields, and the importance of including them in society. This would contribute to easing many obstacles in their lives, in addition to the importance of supporting individuals with autism disorder and their families psychologically, socially, and financially in many cases, and facilitating access to specialized services and programs for this group.

On another note, World Autism Awareness Day attaches great importance to early intervention due to its significant impact on communication skills, academic success, and easing future financial responsibilities.

According to what the United Nations decided, this year's—2018—World Autism Day observance focuses on the importance of empowering women and girls with autism spectrum disorder, and involving them and the organizations representing them in policy-making and decision-making to address these challenges, through active and organized discussions with experts, and considering the specific challenges facing women and girls with autism disorder in this context.

Among the other key issues that must be addressed are: fair equality with others in challenges and opportunities to fully exercise rights in matters relating to marriage, family, and parenthood, as outlined in Article 23 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and in the Sustainable Development Goals (especially Goals 5 and 6) adopted by world leaders in 2015.

Focusing on these issues and those of preceding years means a great deal to individuals with autism disorder and their families, reflecting how important they are to their society and the genuine desire to include them and guide them toward a dignified life just like all other members of society.

Source:http://www.un.org/en/events/autismday/

Originally published in Arabic. This English version was produced with AI-assisted translation; the Arabic original remains the reference.