April is Autism Awareness Month and the "Light It Up Blue"campaign seeks to shine a light on Autism.
According to the Center for Disease Control, 1 in 68 people fall somewhere in the Autism Spectrum. This translates to approximately 37 to 40 City of Arlington employees, 5,600 residents of Arlington and 400,000 Texans that have a child on the Autism Spectrum.
Fire Lt. Jayson Wittmayer is one of at least nine Arlington Fire Department members with a child who falls on the Autism Spectrum from high functioning to non-verbal. Wittmayer's son Brady, now 10, was diagnosed with Autism at age 6.
"He has some social deficits, some touch-sensory issues but he's still an outgoing, loving child that does well is school,"Wittmayer said. "Everybody's story is different though with the challenges and difficulties they face with a child with Autism and how they cope with it."
To help start a public conversation, Wittmayer requested and received approval last year to change the traditional red lights in front of Station 1, which is his station, to blue to help raise awareness about Autism. This year, he approached the Arlington Professional Firefighters Association about partnering with the department to have all 17 fire stations change their red lights to blue for the month of April.
With the collaboration of the Arlington Fire Department, Arlington Professional Firefighters Local 1329 and the Arlington Professional Firefighters Charitable Foundation, every fire station in the city will have their traditional red station lights changed to blue for the "Light It Up Blue"campaign.
"I'm really pleased how the guys in the department and the City have embraced this,"Wittmayer said.
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