Dear John,

It’s April 1, and World Autism Month is here! Every year, we look forward to this moment when the whole world comes together to create more understanding and acceptance, but this April, coming together feels more important than ever. As we work through these challenging times together, we hope that you and your families are staying safe and healthy. Amidst the difficulty and uncertainty facing so many of us, I hope we can all find ways to show kindness and compassion to one another.

Throughout the month, we’ll be sharing stories, advocating alongside and on behalf of the community, shining a light on the research advances we’ve made so far and the ones we know we can achieve in the future - and so much more. The needs of our community are even greater today, so let’s rally together to support everyone touched by autism.

One easy way to get started: a simple pledge. Commit to an act of kindness today and you’ll join our march toward one million acts of kindness for the autism community. We invite you to share your commitment with your network to keep everyone connected through kindness – and tag us @autismspeaks so we can celebrate the amazing members of our kind community.

Then, don’t forget to #lightitupblue tomorrow, April 2, in celebration of World Autism Awareness Day. I know I’ll be wearing blue, sporting my puzzle piece pin and sharing it on social media, and I hope you’ll do the same!  We can all show our support for one another and commitment to our mission, even from the comfort of our homes.

Thank you, John, for being such an important part of our community. We’re dedicated to creating a kinder, more inclusive world, and we can’t do it without you. 

With kindness & gratitude, 

Lisa Goring
Strategic Initiatives & Innovation Officer
Autism Speaks

P.S. We know that this can be an especially challenging time for people with autism and those who love and support them. For resources, go to www.autismspeaks.org/coronavirus or contact the Autism Response Team at 888-AUTISM2 or [email protected]. We are here to help.