Hoods Up, Volume Down – Autism Acceptance Month

April is Autism Acceptance Month, with a national day of recognition on Wednesday, 29 April.

To show our support, students are invited to wear their favourite hoodie to school and bring along a gold coin donation.

At 10:00am, we will join schools and workplaces across the country in a moment of awareness by dimming the lights, lowering the noise, and putting our hoods up.

Goals in NZ:

• Promote Understanding: Educate the public about autism as a spectrum.

• Celebrate Neurodiversity: Acknowledge and value unique autistic experiences and strengths.

• Foster Acceptance & Inclusion: Encourage community, workplaces, and schools to support autistic individuals.

• Amplify Voices: Campaigns like #parentvoicesforautism empower autistic people and families to share their stories.

How to Get Involved (during April):

• Check out resources from Altogether Autism and Autism New Zealand.

• Follow social media campaigns using relevant hashtags.

• Support local events focused on neurodiversity.