Alexandria City Hall lit up red and gold, colors of support for autism acceptance.

Alexandria City Council reaffirmed April as Autism Acceptance Month in Alexandria at a Legislative Meeting on Tuesday, April 2 — also known as Autism Acceptance Day. 

Autism Acceptance Month is nationally recognized as a time to spread awareness and acceptance of people's differences and to promote inclusion for neurodiverse people. The City of Alexandria encourages our community to embrace this opportunity and to continue in that spirit all year long.  

Watch the delivery of the proclamation here.  

The City is proud to announce that the Alexandria Fire Department (AFD) recently achieved the Certified Autism Center designation from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards this year, which signifies AFD as having at least 80% of its public-facing team members trained in effective communication with autistic and sensory-sensitive individuals. This recognition bears out the City’s commitment to serving our community with inclusivity and empathy at the forefront of our work.   

If you or someone you know needs support, the City offers services to help support individuals with autism. Visit the Developmental Disability Services webpage for more information. You may also benefit from this toolkit compiled by a multi-disciplinary team at the University of North Carolina to help parents care for a family member with autism. 

If you prefer communication in another language, free interpretation and translation services are available to you. Please email LanguageAccess@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.3960.