What is Autism?
Autism is the common term used for a range of disabilities medically classified as Pervasive Development Disorders (P.D.D.)
Autism generally affects the following areas of development in widely differing degrees:
Communication: Language is delayed; words are used in a peculiar or repetitive way; often use language that is “rote” (repeated from videos or what is said to them)
Social: May spend more time alone; different and/or decreased socialization with others; unresponsive to social cues (smiles or eye contact); repetitive behaviour (bouncing, spinning objects, hand flapping); adherence to rigid schedules/routines.
Autism, the hidden epidemic
1 in every 150 Canadian children has a form of autism.
School boards report an increase of 63% in the past 2 years.
1 in 10 Canadians will be touched by autism in their lifetime.
The incidence of autism has increased from 1 in 10,000 in the 1970s to 1 in 150 today, an increase of 6,000 %
Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism.
50 % of autistics can not speak.
Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases
Autism is now more common than down's syndrome, childhood cancer, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, blindness, and deafness. The rate of autism is rising 8 times the rate of all other disabilities combined.