Worldwide Autism Blue Light Comes to Imperial Beach

To bring awareness to rising autism spectrum disorders rates, buildings and landmarks around the world joined the nonprofit Autism Speaks for the Light It Up Blue campaign.

Thousands of notable structures, the group said, were showered with blue light for the night from the Empire State Building and portions of the Chicago skyline to the Great Pyramids of Egypt, the Sydney Opera House in Australia and a leaning Abu Dabhi skyscraper.

Closer to home, blue bulbs were used to light up businesses on Seacoast Drive between Palm and Dahlia avenues for World Autism Awareness Day.

Logan Becks of Pacific Legacy Property Management installed the lights for the night, said D'ames Day Spa owner Christine LaPaulsky.

One in 88 children in the United States has an autism spectrum disorder in 2012, an increase of more than 20 percent since surveys were last perforned in 2008, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

LaPaulsky said she didn't understand autism's impact until her grandson Skyler was diagnosed.

"My grandson is severely autistic and it's like you don't realize things until they touch you," she said.

The 13-year-old has to wear gloves and a hat at all times or he can hurt himself.

"We need to grow. We need to do more," LaPaulsky said about the number of local businesses painted in blue light for World Autism Awareness Day.

"Hopefully next year we can make it bigger," she said.

President Obama signed a proclamation recognizing World Autism Awareness Day Tuesday and announced a new intitiative to map the human brain, CBS News reported.