Students at IEA Light It Up Blue for Autism Awareness

Students and staff at the Intensive Education Academy (IEA) in West Hartford helped “Light It Up Blue” in honor of World Autism Awareness Day by wearing their blue to school earlier this month. Students and staff raised nearly $100 through the dress down day for the Autism Speaks.

“It's important for IEA to support autism awareness, because as a school we can understand, we can be helpful, we can learn, and teach others what we know,” says Andrea Salcius, IEA’s Speech-Language Pathology Assistant and IEA’s Autism Speaks Walk team captain. “We look forward to continuing our support of Autism Awareness by participating in the Autism Speaks Walk on June 5 at Rentschler Field.”

World Autism Awareness Day, observed on April 2, was adopted by the United Nations in 2007 to shine a bright light on autism as a growing global health priority. Every year on World Autism Awareness Day, Autism Speaks celebrates its international “Light It Up Blue” campaign. Thousands of iconic landmarks, skyscrapers, schools, businesses and homes across the globe unite by shining bright blue lights in honor of the millions of individuals and families affected by autism. Individuals everywhere wear blue in honor of the autism community.

Since September, IEA has donated over $1,000 to local nonprofits, including the Cornelia deLange Foundation and the Connecticut Down Syndrome Congress, as well as collecting food, clothing and supplies for local families, the food bank and other charities.