XM joined the global campaign in support of autism awareness on 2 April 2023 by lighting up our office in Limassol. In additional to our annual donation to the Cyprus Autistic Association many of the team members also wore blue for the event.

It is the second successive year we have supported World Autism Awareness Day. It is spearheaded by the organisation Autism Speaks, which aims to foster understanding and acceptance for those with autism. This year our participation was under the auspices of the Honourable Lady Andri Anastasiadis, which also saw many of the island’s monuments and other buildings illuminated blue.

The annual “Light It Up Blue” campaign aims to increase understanding about autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as the colour is associated with a calm feeling and acceptance in an otherwise loud and busy world for people on the autism spectrum. The term autism stems from the Greek word autos meaning “self”, autism literally means “alone”.

ASD is one of the world’s fastest-growing developmental disorders and now affects 1 in 68 children. Boys are nearly 5 times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with ASD, which generally appears before the age of 3. Outcomes for children’s lives are significantly improved with early diagnosis and treatment.