“Dear brothers and sisters, in the Easter climate which distinguishes this day, I cordially greet all of you, families, parish groups, associations and pilgrims from Italy and from various parts of the world. […] May you take this opportunity to be witnesses to the Risen Lord’s peace, especially with regard to the most fragile and the most underprivileged. On this matter I would like to assure you of my prayers for World Autism Awareness Day which is being observed today, 2 April.” These were the words offered by the Holy Father at the end of the Regina Coeli, last 2 April, for the observence of the World Autism Awareness Day.
The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development also joined in the awareness campaign: "A special thought goes to the families of people with autism spectrum disorders, who deserve great admiration in accepting, with love, the difficult trial of a child stricken by this disorder, […] offering an extraordinary witness of love for the human person", affirmed Cardinal Peter KA Turkson, Prefect of the Dicastery, in the Message published for the occasion.
Citing Pope Francis, Card. Turkson underlined that “the commitment of all is necessary to promote acceptance, encounter, solidarity, in a concrete endeavour of support and of renewed promotion of hope, contributing in this way to break isolation and, in many cases, also the stigma that weighs on people with autism spectrum disorders, and often also on their families.”
HERE is the complete text of H. E. Card. Peter K. A. Turkson