Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex condition that impacts normal brain development and affects a person's social relationships, communication, interests and behaviour.
ASD is a spectrum disorder which means there is wide variation in how it affects each person. Individuals with ASD vary widely in their needs, skills and abilities but most have common types of characteristics including:
The effects of ASD may not be visible to most people.
Studies indicate that ASD affects about one in every 150-165 children. It is the most common neurological disorder in children and the cause or causes are still unknown. ASD usually appears early in life, often before the age of three, and is four to five times more common in boys than in girls.
For now, there is no cure for ASD. There are, however, highly effective treatment and intervention methods available that can help individuals and their families address the characteristics of this disorder. Early interventions based on best practices are intended to help children with ASD develop skills, learn to communicate effectively, share in family life and enjoy success at school.
In this section, you will find information for parents, including information on assessment and diagnosis and autism programs. There are also useful resources for service providers as well as information on transition planning, publications and links.
A summary of the implications of what recent UBC-based research might mean for early intervention designed for young children with autism spectrum disorders is now available. This summary is based on the research described in five of the six web casts-available via SET BC.
The research was funded by the Ministry of Children and Family Development, the Human Early Learning Partnership and the National Alliance for Autism Research/Autism Speaks.
October 24, 2008
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