On Thursday night, the Autism Speaks U at UCLA celebrated World Autism Awareness Day. The Autism Speaks U student group at UCLA lit up Pauley Pavilion with blue lights. Steven Anderson, president of Autism Speaks U at UCLA, said that the student group organized the lighting to make students more aware of autism. The venue and the lighting were sponsored by UCLA Facilities Management.

Anderson further said that there was a reason why they selected Pauley Pavilion this year to celebrate the World Autism Awareness Day. It is situated on the main walk and organizers wanted people to see it.

Autism spectrum disorder, also known as ASD, is a condition that affects social interaction, communication, interests and behavior. Symptoms of the disorder usually develop early on in a child’s life. Currently, there is no known cure of the disorder.

According to Anderson, “There is not enough advocacy to improve the resources available to autistic individuals because the disorder is not life-threatening, even though it is the fastest-growing developmental disorder in the United States”.

During the event, the Autism Speaks U student group distributed pamphlets on autism to help students gain a better knowledge about the disorder, according to Elizabeth Togneri, vice president of the UCLA chapter.

Henry Nguyen, a fourth-year sociology student, was also diagnosed with autism in his childhood. According to Nguyen, the chapter works to help autistic children by making people aware about the disorder.

The student further stated that the chapter made his life easier by helping him so that he can get in touch with professionals who work with people with autistic. Nguyen further added that there are some people who wrongly think autistic individuals are socially isolated. Educating such people about the disorder reduces the social stigma, Nguyen said.