Happy Monday, loves! Today’s post is a touch more special that my typical fashion post although I did post all fashion details at the end of the post. Today I have teamed up with Lauren of A Lo Profile to talk about something that is near and dear to our hearts – Autism Awareness. As a school psychologist (Lauren) and a speech pathologist (me), Lauren and I have had the immense blessing of working with and learning from many students with diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
As a speech therapist, I work hand-in-hand with school psychologists to evaluate and diagnose children with autism and then support them as needed in order to help them be the most successful they can be in their environment.
Today we are wearing blue to help promote Autism Awareness (begins April 1 – April 30). Autism Awareness month began as a way to promote autism awareness, inclusion, and the best quality of life for those diagnosed with Autism. If you’re unfamiliar with what Autism is, it’s a developmental disability that typically becomes evident in early childhood. To date, there is no known cause, but there are some key behaviors that are often identified as autistic. You can read more here, but some include little to no eye contact, nonverbal or a language delay, lack of interest in relationships, and possible sensory sensitivities.
Becoming aware of what autism is is critical not only for early diagnosis (I’m a mega support or early intervention), but also because according to the Autism Society, by March 2014, 1 in 68 kids is diagnosed with ASD and 1 in 54 are male. That’s a staggering ratio and one that has only increased with time. There is a lot that could be written about ASD, so instead of listening to me ramble, I would encourage each of you to visit the Autism Society’s website to learn more. And of course, feel free to email me with any questions you may have.
So, for the month of April we encourage you to wear your blue and celebrate with us any way you can whether that is donating, taking part in local or online events, or simply educating yourself on what autism is and what it’s like to live with ASD. We want to encourage each of you specifically to wear blue with us on April 2nd, which is Light It Up Blue day and the World Autism Awareness Day.
Now to the fashion part. How adorable is my friend, Lauren? We met almost a year ago through another blogger and enjoyed becoming friends over the past year. You may remember seeing her in my Valentine’s Day post from this year, but if you missed that you should at least check out her blog because she has the cutest style! I mean how well does she rock this adorable (and affordable) jumpsuit? As for my outfit, you know I’m neutral obsessed, so even though I’m proudly wearing my blue I had to sneak a little white in there…(enter wink face emoji).
lauren’s outfit:
anna’s outfit:
top: asos | jeans: loft | bag: similar, similar | pumps: similar | earrings: bauble bar c/o | necklace: dana rebecca | sunnies: karen walker
