On 2 April, World Autism Awareness Day, the City of Ljubljana joined the international initiative »Light it up Blue« and lit up the Triple Bridge and the Ljubljana Castle blue.

In 2007, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a resolution declaring 2 April World Autism Awareness Day. By marking the World Autism Awareness Day and participating in the Light It up Blue campaign we want to raise awareness on autism and disseminate information about the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention.

The City of Ljubljana joined the international initiative at the very start and lit up the Three Bridges and the Ljubljana Castle blue on Sunday, 2 April 2016.

Through programmes and activities of the Department for Pre-school Learning and Education of the City Administration of the City of Ljubljana we are achieving higher quality of treatment of children with special needs and are supporting in different ways efforts of all institutions taking care of children with special needs. The Counselling Centre for Children, Adolescents and Parents Ljubljana helps children, adolescents and parents resolve learning, emotional, educational, behavioural, psychosocial and psychiatric disabilities and problems. The Special Education Centre Janez Levec Ljubljana as a special programme elementary school cares for children with special needs and with its own mobile service of special teachers it offers additional professional aid to children in 35 elementary schools in Ljubljana. The Education Centre of the City of Ljubljana and the Special Education Centre Janez Levec (Education Centre PIKA) provide support with additional trainings and education of the teaching staff and with individual counselling for parents and the professional staff in kindergartens and schools.

As we are aware that autistic children have trouble with social skills, verbal and nonverbal communication, expressing feelings and a number of specific needs, Ljubljana strives to improve the conditions for children with special needs and puts a lot of emphasis on identifying children with special needs and including them into the educational process.