#LightitUpBlue

In honor of my beautiful niece, Lilly, who happens to have autism, I wanted to write about autism awareness and what social media does for a topic like this. Shameless plug alert: she happens to have a Facebook page and blog that sheds light on her journey with autism (see her story here: http://bit.ly/1G6EPzB).

April 2^nd is World Autism Awareness Day. One in 68 children are affected by autism and the number is growing. There’s also no cure, but raising awareness about autism brings us one step closer to finding one. To do this, social media users are hashtagging #LightitUpBlue and it’s getting a tremendous response. People aren’t just simply writing a quick tweet but are taking action in other forms too. Some posts include:

Two things I love are seeing businesses take advantage of the voice they have through social media and supporting great causes. One company that is lighting it up blue is Home Depot. You can go to any Home Depot store to purchase #LightitUpBlue lanterns and light bulbs. The proceeds from your purchase will go to Autism Speaks. To spread the word, Home Depot and customers are taking to Twitter to share:

Another account of successfully reaching an audience through social media deals with Jacqueline Laurita. If anyone watches Real Housewives of New Jersey, you know Laurita has an autistic son, Nicholas. She uses her celebrity platform to educate others on autism. She is also a support system for parents by sharing her own journey with Nicholas.

Recently, a woman by the name of Jane Wong commented the Autism Behavioral Services Page asking, “Why do people give birth to autistic kids? Waste of society’s resources.” Laurita responded online with a touching open letter to educate Wong instead of attack (read the full letter here: http://bit.ly/1NuDjtG).

Social media outlets continue to prove to be a valuable tool in spreading importance and educating others. I hope you will join me in lighting it up blue on Thursday in support of autism awareness!