Minister of Health Walter Roban will publicly proclaim Thursday (April 1) as World Autism Awareness Day to help highlight the issue in Bermuda.

Autism is a developmental disability estimated to affect one in every 150 people. It is generally marked by a lack of brain development in the areas of communication and social interaction. Boys are four times more likely to be affected by autism as girls and there is no known cure. Autism affects families from every race and background.

April marks Autism Awareness Month and the Minister will hold Thursday's event on the steps of City Hall at 12.30 p.m. The event will also feature a performance by the steel drums of The Bermuda School of Music.

To increase awareness for World Autism Day and Month, Bermuda Autism Support and Education (BASE) and their families will spend the morning on April 1 with Johnny Barnes greeting commuters on their way into Hamilton.

Also on the day, City Hall will join some of the world's most famous buildings in "turning blue" to mark the Day and the start of Autism Awareness Month.

Hamilton's famous landmark will "light up blue" along with buildings such as the Empire State Building in New York City and the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, which will be lit up as part of a worldwide "Light It Up Blue" campaign, organised by Autism Speaks, a US-based autism science and advocacy organisation, aims to "shine a light" on autism as a growing global health crisis.

Mayor of Hamilton, Charles Gosling, said: "The Corporation of Hamilton is honoured to support the start of Autism Awareness Month. City Hall, together with hundreds of iconic buildings around the world, will be lit by blue lights to help raise awareness of and support for the issues affecting autism families. The lights of City Hall will be turned on at 7.30 p.m. and will stay lit for the entire month."

• For more details about BASE and information on autism visit www.bermudaautism.org.