World Autism Acceptance Month 2025

The 2nd April 2025 is World Autism Acceptance Day, and April is World Autism Acceptance Month. Across the UK members of the Autism Alliance are playing their part in this critically important campaign, reaching out across society to promote acceptance and understanding of autism and autistic people.

Here is a small selection of the amazing things our members are doing to make a world in which autistic people can thrive.

• Autism NI’s theme is ‘Be Kind to Different Minds’, asking autistic people what acceptance means to them.

• From Ambitious about Autism, ‘Sometimes it only takes very small changes to make a big difference to autistic young people’s lives’.

• Aspens are celebrating all types of neurodivergence with a Stars of Aspens day.

• Prior’s Court are holding a range of events throughout April, including a talk on the power of arts in autism education.

• Autism Initiatives’ Walk for Autism campaign concludes on World Autism Acceptance Day, with North East Autism Society’s Walk for Acceptance taking place later in April.

In an more uncertain world and with great pressure on the economy and public spending, there are continuing challenges for autistic people and their families. As well as recognising these challenges and showing how we can address them, it’s vital that we also celebrate the positive things that are happening. Here are some examples:

• Autism Central continues to be a source of information and help to navigate the system for families, provided by parents and carers with their own direct experience, and supplementing the services provided by committed local organisations across the country.

• Regional and local leaders are recognising the importance of a society and services that work for autistic people, and more broadly for neurodivergent people - both in promoting opportunity and addressing inequality, and also in building the more needs-led, cost-effective system of services we need for the future. This video from the Mayor of Greater Manchester, made for Neurodiversity Celebration Week demonstrates a powerful commitment to inclusion for neurodivergent people.

• Committed researchers are continuing to build the evidence of ‘what works’ in supporting autistic people to live full and happy lives, with programmes that prioritise co-production and acceptability.

• Local charities and businesses are setting up innovative new spaces and provision for autistic and neurodivergent people, such as the Nook Stop in a shopping centre in Doncaster.

Despite the challenge of planned Government spending cuts, there continue to be people at all levels in the system who are working for better lives for autistic people and their families; who champion the importance of kindness and understanding; and who recognise that recognising and meeting needs enables people to flourish. In World Autism Acceptance Month, we’d like to thank them all.

By working together, keeping in sight the fundamental importance of understanding, and continuing to build the evidence of ‘what works’, we can achieve real change.