MIAMI (CBSMiami) – South Florida is joining the rest of the world in a show of support for the start of Autism Awareness Month.

Monday night, Miami’s Freedom Tower and the Port Miami Bridge will join 2,000 structures around the world that will shine a blue light.

The blue lights are a part of Autism Speaks’ third annual Light It Up Blue campaign to raise autism awareness.

Other buildings that will go blue in Miami include the Stephen P. Clark Government Center, the Miami Tower and Mass Mutual/LINQ Financial, in Coral Gables.

An estimated 1 in 88 children are identified with an autism spectrum disorder according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. Autism is nearly five times more likely in males, impacting one in 54 boys, verses one in 252 girls.

The event is being held in 220 U.S. cities and 28 countries.

Globally the Empire State Building in New York City, the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Brazil, the Sydney Opera House in Australia, and the International Space Station will also go blue.

For other Light It Up Blue events go to www.lightitupblue.org.

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