This April we recognised World Autism Month, beginning with World Autism Day on Wednesday the 2nd of April.
The month was all about learning and growing together as one community; and acknowledging the strengths, achievements, and uniqueness of people on the Autism spectrum.
There were so many ways to get involved, from visiting the landmarks on our biggest ever Light Up the Spectrum night to sharing knowledge, creating understanding, and hosting fundraising events. It was wonderful to see how much was happening in the community, and we would like to thank each and every person who joined us in recognising World Autism Day and World Autism Month.
Keep reading to see some of our favourite moments from the month!
Light Up the Spectrum’s Bright Night
World Autism Day saw our biggest Light Up the Spectrum initiative ever turn landmarks across metro and regional WA red, green, and every colour in between. We partnered with over 50 locations around Perth and beyond to light up our State in a spectrum of colour, and here are some fun facts:
- 51 locations lit up over 1,924km
- Port Hedland = our most northern participant
- Manjimup = our most southern participant
- 9 new locations participating
To get the community involved, we created a map for highlighting locations along the trail and encouraged sharing snapshots on social media.
A big thank you goes out to everyone who spent the night taking in the sights, and to all participating locations for making this event so memorable. Take a tour through Light Up the Spectrum in our colourful compilation video below!
Events, Activities and Fundraising to Ignite Change
Schools, organisations and businesses from across the State acknowledged World Autism Month by brightening up their classrooms, office spaces and uniforms with the colours of the spectrum, downloading our Autism Month resources, and displaying our posters.
Cyril Jackson Senior Campus Education Support Centre got involved by using our resources to create their own unique handprints, symbolising the handprints of the people who make up our wonderful community. They also held a jellybean jar guessing game in honour of the occasion – what a sweet way to fundraise!
We also loved the interactive displays set up by Ngala at Banksia Grove Child and Parent Centre – one encouraging more children to create a handprint of their own to add to a group tree, and the other a sensory sea life experience.
Thank you to everyone who organised or contributed to an Autism Month fundraiser. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Association Activities: How Our Teams Marked the Month
At all our hubs and across Perth, our staff got involved in Autism Month with enthusiasm: hosting morning teas, arranging activities, spreading awareness at events, and dressing in all the colours of the spectrum. Individuals and families were also welcomed to our hubs with eye-catching displays throughout April – including a handprint tree created by our team at Hay Street, highlighting the unique strengths of Autistic individuals; and another tree grown by our team at Joondalup and some of the people they support, blooming with creativity.
That’s a wrap on World Autism Month 2025! We loved seeing you all learn and grow together with us as one community. If you still have an Autism Month moment to share, it’s not too late: tag us on social media or email your photos and stories here.
What’s Next?
Keep up to date with Association news and events here on our website or by visiting our social platforms.
We look forward to continuing to learn, grow, and celebrate the uniqueness of individuals with Autism as we host the Asia Pacific Autism Conference 2025 in November. Find out more about APAC 2025 here.