Autism Awareness & Acceptance – Events Timeline
Use this page to show your past autism awareness themes (like “Hoods Up, Volume Down”), what’s happening this April, and what’s coming in the next few years worldwide.
What You Can Do to Help
Share this year’s theme
Post it to socials, newsletters, and classroom boards.
Make it sensory-friendly
Lower music / PA, allow hoodies and headphones.
Use autistic voices
Share autistic-created videos, blogs, and stories.
Link to supports
- Run Autism Acceptance Week to match April.
- Explain “hoodies/headphones” as sensory tools.
- Use low-sensory day in April.
- Hold a 20-min lunch & learn on autism.
- Allow sensory supports for April.
- Share this page link in staff comms.
- Share April’s theme with extended family.
- Explain sensory overload vs “being rude”.
- Link them to your autism page.
“Hoods Up, Volume Down” (April 2025)
What it is: A sensory-awareness campaign to normalise hoodies, caps, headphones, and “turn it down please” for autistic and neurodivergent people.
What people need to know:
- Hood up = blocking visual / social overload
- Headphones = reducing sound for regulation
- Volume down = please lower music / PA / classroom noise
- These are supports, not fashion problems
How to run it: Pick a day in April → tell everyone to wear hoodies/headphones → ask venues to lower noise → post on socials → link back to Autism Awareness page.
Campaign Merch / Awareness Items
View more →2025 – Global Campaigns
Matches this year’s sensory theme.
World Autism Awareness Day (UN)
Official observance — link to main autism page.
“Hoods Up, Volume Down”
Use for schools, hubs, workplaces and social media.