For Autism Awareness Month, Give a Buck

April is National Autism Awareness Month and the Flying Point Foundation for Autism, based in Water Mill, is asking everyone to do their part — a very small part — by donating $1.

The foundation's "Give a Buck for Autism" campaign asks donors to give just $1 — and ask their friends to do the same over Twitter, Facebook and email. If everyone tells a few friends, those small donations really add up. And nothing's to stop anyone from digging a little deeper.

The way the program works is that anyone can sign up as a fundraiser and solicit donations. The first $100 they raise goes to the Flying Point Foundation, which provides programs to enrich the lives of children with autism on the East End. Each fundraiser can designate a different autism charity to recieve funds raised above the initial $100.

To give, visit www.giveabuckforautism.org and choose an existing fundraiser to back, or sign up to become a fundraiser.

The campaign ends June 30.

Also this month, the fifth annual World Autism Awareness Day was observed April 2. students recognized the occasion by wearing blue, the color of autism awareness.

According to autismspeaks.org, autism spectrum disorders are characterized by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. Statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that nearly one in 88 American children is on the autism spectrum. This represents a ten-fold increase in prevalence in 40 years. Nearly one out of 54 boys and one in 252 girls are diagnosed with autism in the United States.

You can "like" Flying Point Foundation for Autism on Facebook.