John, today’s the day! It’s our 15th birthday, and we have a lot of news to share!

First, you may have noticed we look a little different. In the 15 years since we were founded, the autism community has seen considerable change, and we have evolved along the way. So we’ve updated our look, including an evolution of our blue puzzle piece logo.

We’ve reimagined our look to include a spectrum of colors in addition to our traditional blue. This new, more colorful logo is meant to show the diversity of perspectives and experiences across the autism spectrum, and to demonstrate our commitment to inclusivity. We’ve listened to the community since the day we were founded, and we hope our new look demonstrates our dedication to reflecting the community we serve. Read more about the new Autism Speaks here.

But that’s not all! On our 15th birthday, we have a big birthday wish and we need your help to make it come true. We’re launching our “Year of Kindness” initiative: challenging our community to complete one million acts of kindness for people with autism by the end of 2020.

Acts of kindness can include everything from lending a helping hand to a friend, neighbor or colleague on the spectrum, to volunteering at an Autism Speaks event to joining our #KindnessCounts challenge on social media. Get started today by pledging to commit an act of kindness here!

We hope that this effort, together with our more inclusive look, will fuel an atmosphere of kindness that can last for many more years to come. We're excited for you to join us!

In kindness & gratitude,

Angela Geiger