The Executive Director with Autism services says 1 out of every 150 Canadians has a diagnosis of autism and those numbers will continue to rise.

Today is World Autism Awareness Day which kicks off Autism Awareness month.

Shannon Friesen says doctors are more successfully diagnosing forms of autism where someone would have simply been considered socially quirky and she says they are still researching the cause but believe there is some genetic pre-disposition that is triggered by environment.

The Global Light-it-up-Blue campaign marks World Autism Awareness Day. Places like the CN Tower in Toronto and the Empire State Building in New York were lit up in blue yesterday evening. To recognize Autism awareness, Friesen has asked Saskatoon City Council to change the lights on the Traffic Bridge to blue this month.