On world autism awareness day, April 2nd, you may see plenty of blue being shown off to support autism awareness. The color blue's association to autism originated with the autism advocacy association known as
What is the official color for autism? While there is no official color for autism, blue has become the most commonly associated color with the disorder. This may be due in part to Autism Speaks, one of the largest autism advocacy organizations in the world, using a blue puzzle piece as their logo.
Red should never be used in the home as children with ASD perceive the color as florescent. Yellows likewise are very stimulating and are best to avoid. Greens, blues, pinks, soft oranges and neutrals can be very comforting. Keeping the colors muted, these tones can quiet the mind and create calm.
There is no one color that represents autism. However, the most commonly used colors to symbolize autism are blue, yellow, and red. The color blue is often used to represent the sky and calmness, while yellow and red are often associated with energy and excitement.
THE PUZZLE piece as a symbol for autism was originally used by the National Autism Society in UK in 1963. Time went by and it was used to represent autism by an organisation in America, Autism Speaks.
Blue “Forget-me-not” flower to raise awareness for the needs of people with autism.
The gold infinity sign is sometimes used to signify autism. It is a variation on the infinite rainbow design for neurodivergence, with a solid gold colour because the symbol for gold is “Au”, like the first two letters of the word Autism.
Gold or rainbow infinity sign for autism
It was created using a different perspective than previous symbols and to raise awareness all year round. The use of a rainbow spectrum in the infinity symbol was designed to drive awareness of the diversity among neurodivergent individuals.
Another study, on the other hand, attempted to compare the categorical perception of color between children with ASD and TD children (Franklin et al., 2008b) and reported that the strength of categorical perception of color did not differ between ASD and TD children.
More recent research has used the house mouse (Mus musculus) to model autism because it is a social species. Other strains of mice used include mu opioid receptor knockout mice, as well as Fmr1 knockout mice; the latter are also used as animal models of Fragile X syndrome.
Pink. Pale pink has been nominated as the favourite colour for children on the spectrum. It evokes feelings of peacefulness, love, and safety. Soft pinks can help with concentration and are one of the best colours to paint a bedroom or calming space.
Wear blue or puzzle pieces
The colour blue and puzzle pieces are universally recognised as representation of autism awareness. Don your favourite blue outfit or make something you can wear out of puzzle pieces to get the autism conversation flowing.
LIUB spreads awareness and understanding of autism, celebrates and honors the unique talents and skills of people with autism, and brings attention to the needs of all people with autism.
Purple. Purple is also one of the colors to represent Autism, yet, it seems more common in the United Kingdom. That is because the U. K's National Autistic Society has chosen it as their striking color for Autism Awareness.
2023 Theme
This year, the theme for World Autism Awareness Day is “Transforming the narrative: Contributions at home, at work, in the arts and in policymaking.”
This year the theme for World Autism Awareness Day 2023 is "Transforming the narrative: Contributions at home, at work, in the arts and in policymaking." According to United Nations, the 2023 World Autism Awareness Day observance is organised by the United Nations Department of Global Communications and Department of ...
Colour psychology in Autism
According to Sensational Colour, red is universally associated with danger, which triggers an emotional and physical reaction, affecting an individual's actions. Children are naturally drawn to bright hues as they are more stimulating and easier to see.
Fluorescent Lighting and Autism
Certain types of lighting, specifically fluorescent lighting, has been shown to have a particularly negative affect on individuals with autism. Approximately half of autistic individuals experience what is classified as a severe sensitivity to fluorescent lighting.
Visual stimming is one of the self-stimulatory behaviours that children with autism often present with. It may include repetitive behaviours such as: Staring or gazing at objects, such as ceiling fans or lights.
We can trace the history of the autism puzzle piece to 1963. That year, Gerald Gasson, a parent and board member of the National Autistic Society in London, designed the puzzle piece. The first logo of its kind, the puzzle piece featured green and black colors with an outline of a crying child in the center.
Autism is a neurological developmental disability with an estimated prevalence of one to two percent of the American and worldwide population. The diversity of the disability means that each person's individual experience of autism and needs for supports and services can vary widely.
3. The Infinite Rainbow. In recent years, there has been a movement within the autism community to reject the classic symbols of the puzzle piece and blue color. At the same time, individuals with autism have felt more identified with a new symbol, the infinity symbol with the colors of the rainbow.
Gold as a colour for today is preferred as it is based on the chemical symbol for gold being 'Au', the first two letters of autism, but also because throughout history gold has been something that is strived for and of immense value – often missing from the lives of autistic people.
April is Autism Awareness Month. At the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), it's a time to reflect on our progress and reaffirm our commitment to supporting research that responds to the needs of people on the autism spectrum, now and into the future.
Some autistic children often find it impossible to touch some objects; others cannot tolerate certain smells, etc. The most often reported visual sensitivities are sensitivity to bright light, fluorescent light, colours and certain patterns (especially stripes).