When is Autism Acceptance Month?
Autism Acceptance Month 2027
Thu, Apr 1, 2027 – Fri, Apr 30, 2027
The whole of April. That's in 179 days.
until Autism Acceptance Month begins, in your time zone
Autism Acceptance Month is an April observance that promotes understanding, inclusion and support for autistic people throughout their lives. Long known as Autism Awareness Month, it was renamed to stress that acceptance, not just awareness, improves autistic people's lives.
About Autism Acceptance Month
Each April, autistic people, families, schools and advocacy groups use the month to share autistic voices, explain how autism can affect communication, sensory experience and daily routines, and push for better access to education, jobs, housing and health care. Autism is common: the CDC's monitoring network estimates that about 1 in 31 eight-year-olds in the United States had been identified with autism in 2022.
The April observance has a long history. The Autism Society of America began a national effort to promote autism awareness in 1970, and its first annual National Autistic Children's Week was held in 1972, later growing into a month. The United Nations added World Autism Awareness Day on April 2 through General Assembly resolution 62/139, adopted in 2007.
The name changed in two steps. Autistic advocate Paula C. Durbin-Westby organized the first Autism Acceptance Day on April 1, 2011, as a corrective to negative portrayals of autism, and the idea of an Autism Acceptance Month spread quickly through the autistic community. Then, on March 4, 2021, the Autism Society of America and other disability organizations announced they were formally shifting from Autism Awareness Month to Autism Acceptance Month and asked the media to follow. The Society's chief executive, Christopher Banks, argued that awareness alone was not enough and that acceptance leads to inclusion and belonging.
Some organizations still use the older name, but the UN's own messaging for April now speaks of moving beyond awareness to acceptance, appreciation and inclusion.
Sources: Associations Now: Association Shifts Its Messaging From Awareness to Acceptance (2021), Autistic Self Advocacy Network: Autism Acceptance Events and Their History, United Nations: World Autism Awareness Day, CDC: Data and Statistics on Autism Spectrum Disorder, Autism Society of America: Autism Acceptance Month. How we check dates.
How to mark Autism Acceptance Month
- Read books, essays or blogs written by autistic people to learn about autism from the inside.
- Ask an autistic coworker, classmate or relative what helps them, such as clear written instructions or a quieter space, and follow through.
- Support sensory-friendly events in your community, like quiet hours at stores, libraries or movie theaters.
- Find out where children and adults in your area can get an autism evaluation and support services, and share the information with families who need it.
- Use the language the autistic people in your life prefer; many choose identity-first terms such as autistic person.
Autism Acceptance Month dates
| Year | Dates |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Tue, Apr 1 – Wed, Apr 30 |
| 2026 | Wed, Apr 1 – Thu, Apr 30 |
| 2027 | Thu, Apr 1 – Fri, Apr 30 |
| 2028 | Sat, Apr 1 – Sun, Apr 30 |
| 2029 | Sun, Apr 1 – Mon, Apr 30 |
| 2030 | Mon, Apr 1 – Tue, Apr 30 |
| 2031 | Tue, Apr 1 – Wed, Apr 30 |
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Frequently asked questions
When is Autism Acceptance Month 2027?
Autism Acceptance Month 2027 is Thu, Apr 1, 2027 – Fri, Apr 30, 2027. It falls on the whole of April. In 2028, it is on Saturday, April 1, 2028.
Why is it called Autism Acceptance Month instead of Autism Awareness Month?
Autistic self-advocates began promoting acceptance in 2011, arguing that awareness alone did little to improve autistic people's lives. In 2021 the Autism Society of America formally adopted the new name, saying acceptance leads to inclusion.
Is World Autism Awareness Day part of the month?
Yes. The UN's World Autism Awareness Day, created by a 2007 General Assembly resolution, falls on April 2, inside the month.
Is Autism Acceptance Month a public holiday?
No. Autism Acceptance Month is an observance, not a public holiday, so schools, banks, government offices and most businesses keep their normal hours.