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KINGSFORD -- Autism did much more than speak at Woodland Elementary School on Autism Awareness day Friday, it shone...blue.

Staff and students raised awareness for the social disorder by passing out blue light bulbs and donning blue apparel.

"To me it's like a sign of solidarity that we are together; we are aware of this autism spectrum disorder," said special education teacher, Karen Usitalo.

The main goal:  to teach staff and students tolerance.  Woodland Elementary has a special team of teachers dedicated to this mission called "START."

"It's a group of people that have extra training in autism, and we then in turn come to this school and provide more training for our staff members and for our students," Usitalo said, who's also a START member.  "We have sensitivity training for our students so they understand some of these kids may appear different or talk different."

Zach Beauchamp is just one happy student who's reaped the program's benefits.

"I think the kids at school in our neighborhood, they treat Zach like he's any other kid," said Zach's mom, Karen.  "He doesn't look like he has a disability, they don't treat him like he has a disability, and I think that's what strengthens him to go on and be like other kids.  He is very social; he seeks out friends."

And Woodland's start program has given Zachary a lot of confidence and some pretty high aspirations.  He told TV6 that he might want to be a storm chaser or maybe even work for us one day.