Monday Marks Fifth Annual World Autism Awareness Day

If you take a look at Twitter today you'll see everyone from celebrities to athletes, not-for-profit organizations and even your neighbors using the trending topic "Today is World Autism Awareness Day."

Monday marks the fifth annual World Autism Awareness Day, according to autismspeaks.org, and the organization wants to know how you will celebrate the day by posting information on their Facebook page wall. The organization is encouraging people to post information on everything from fundraising events to events on raising awareness of what autism is and more.

, the children's librarian at blogged about . She also said that the library will host .

"Child development specialist, Sheri Fox will be discussing the latest research regarding the autism spectrum as well as grass roots efforts to ensure this important issue receives the attention it deserves," Hiam wrote. "Bring your questions and leave with a wealth of knowledge regarding the resources available to you."

to register for this program. Advanced registration and a Suffolk Country library card is required.

According to autismspeaks.org, autism and autism spectrum disorder are disorders characterized by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. Statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that nearly one in 88 American children is on the autism spectrum. This represents a ten-fold increase in prevalence in 40 years. Nearly one out of 54 boys and one in 252 girls are diagnosed with autism in the United States.