World Autism Awareness Day celebrated April 2 in Muskoka
![World Autism Awareness Day Muskoka agency celebrates World Autism Awareness Day April 2, 2024. (Source: HANDS)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2024/3/27/world-autism-awareness-day-1-6824028-1711539806246.jpeg)
About 1 in every 50 Canadian children and adolescents has been diagnosed with autism, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
With World Autism Awareness Day just around the corner on Tuesday, Hands with the Family Help Network is celebrating with events at two regional sites in Bracebridge and Muskoka.
“We are excited to open our doors for everyone to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day with us,” said Paula Barnes, manager of Autism Services at Hands.
“People with autism have unique gifts and challenges, needs and wants, strengths and weaknesses. It is important that we are aware of and celebrate everyone’s individuality so we can accept people for who they are and help them grow,” said Barnes.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
Hands will also share facts related to Autism Awareness on their Autism Facebook page during April in recognition of World Autism Awareness Day.
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disability characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech and nonverbal communication.
“Awareness is a step that helps to start conversations and open minds. Awareness brings acceptance, equity, access, and empowerment,” said Barnes.
“As an Agency working with people with autism, awareness helps us to advocate on an individual or family’s behalf to strive for equity, to provide access to important resources, and to empower them to live their best life,” Barnes said.
To learn more and see how our experience can support you and your family, email Hands.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6407590.1714176236!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Britney Spears settles long-running legal dispute with estranged father, finally bringing ultimate end to conservatorship
Britney Spears has reached a settlement with her estranged father more than two years after the court-ordered termination of a conservatorship that had given him control of her life, their attorneys said.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
Yemen's Houthi rebels claim downing U.S. Reaper drone, release footage showing wreckage of aircraft
Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saturday claimed shooting down another of the U.S. military's MQ-9 Reaper drones, airing footage of parts that corresponded to known pieces of the unmanned aircraft.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Haida elder suing Catholic Church and priest, hopes for 'healing and reconciliation'
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.