Our Review of Going Blue

Marketing and Recruitment Coordinator, Kim Hogan

Going Blue for April

The time has come and gone as we wrap up another Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month! For the entire month of April, our centers brought awareness to the one thing that connects all our staff, knowing and caring for someone with autism. The month’s goal is to shed light on those who have autism or know someone with autism. About 1 in 44 children have been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to estimates from CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. With those numbers, it is crucial to have awareness for those affected by autism, not just for one month but every day of the year.

Kicking things off in April, staff were encouraged to share their awareness by wearing blue, the staple color for Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month, or a spirited autism awareness shirt each Friday of the month. On April 1st, our very own Lynsey Slater created adorable ribbons that staff could wear at any time to show their support. For our clients, their month began with gifting a balloon and bubble set to take home and enjoy.

We tailored our social media pages to reflect the month’s theme. Our Facebook and Instagram pages went blue for April. We made a point to provide various forms of information about autism and highlights of Cornerstone Autism Center as a company. Even our staff gave personal quotes about what they have learned as ABA therapists. By utilizing our social media in this way, we hoped to give a better understanding of autism.

Beyond Our Centers

As the month continued, we alerted followers about several events outside of Cornerstone that supported Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month. One such event was the 2022 See the World a Different Way Virtual Race. Staff and families were encouraged to participate in this event, where raised funds went to the Organization for Autism Research. With the help of applied science, the OAR aims to support parents, families, individuals with autism, teachers, and caregivers with the questions they have daily.

Sweet Treats and Character Meets

We also planned several surprises for the staff and clients sprinkled throughout the month. Therapists and staff could indulge in the many sweet treats offered like mini cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes and specialty blue popcorn from La D Da Gourmet Popcorn. Popular children’s characters made unforgettable visits to our clients at their centers! From pixie dust fairies to intergalactic Jedis, our clients were not disappointed when these special visitors stopped by. Thank you to Courage and Kindness and Star Wars Indiana for bringing happy smiles to our clients and staff!

 On any standard calendar, April may seem like just another month. But to the staff and families of Cornerstone, April means so much more. It is a time when everyone can come together to support a cause near and dear to our hearts. We know if someone is diagnosed with autism, there is hope. With the help and support of so many resources available today, families and caregivers can now find the pieces to their loved one’s puzzle and help them put everything together to create something remarkable. We can’t wait to see you next April!

Last updated by khogan at June 3, 2022.