The UN initiative aims to alert the world community to the fact that autism has become a world problem, to raise awareness and encourage the early diagnosing and early intervention, as well as the socialization of the people with autism spectrum disorders. On 2 April emblematic buildings and sites are illuminated in blue, including the opera in Sydney, Empire State Building in New York and the Jesus Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro.
“On this day we express our compassion and support for the people with autism and their families. We support their right to live worthy lives, we direct our attention to the problem and together seek solutions,” President Rosen Plevneliev said in his greeting on the occasion of the world day. The Head of State highlighted the necessity for more knowledge, which will boost the compassion and solidarity in taking care of the people with autism. “A lot of prominent figures such as Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein and Mozart have experienced difficulties in their development due to autism spectrum disorders. However, they have managed to discover, develop and reveal their talent to the world, to enrich mankind and to substantially contribute to its progress,” the President emphasized.
The Head of State said that the number of autism cases and the frequency of their manifestation have increased in the past decades. Autism is found in 6 out of 1000 cases on average and children from all regions in the world are affected. The early diagnosis, adequate therapy, rehabilitation, specialized medical help, good education and employment are of great importance for these people.
President Rosen Plevneliev alerted that 80 percent of the people suffering from autism are unemployed, and a great part of the employers are unaware of their good skills and abilities. The people with autism possess skills to recognize models and regularities, they have a logical mode of thinking, consistency and a sense of details – qualities which make them suitable for different types of employment, among which are the development of software, entering data, work in laboratories and a lot more things. “However, in order to develop their potential, the insufficiency of vocational training, the insufficient support for finding jobs, the lack of information and the stigmatization of these people should be overcome. A lot of work should yet be done to overcome the stereotypes in society and to ensure an efficient mechanism to support the people with autism and their families,” the Head of State further said.
Rosen Plevneliev called on the institutions, the NGOs, and the local authorities to support the abilities, skills and potential of the people with autism.