WANT TO KNOW ABOUT AUTISM?

( Manitoba Families for Effective Autism Treatment)

Here are the facts:

Autism is a severe neurological condition of unknown origin affecting communication, social interaction, skills, learning and behavior. Symptoms of autism include: severe language difficulties; indifference to others; repetitive, self-injurious and/or bizarre behaviors; unusual responses to sensory stimuli and; resistance to normal teaching methods.

Autism and its related disorders occur in up to 15 of every 10,000 births. And the ultimate prognosis for over 95% of untreated autism cases is a life in a highly supervised setting.

However, studies document a near 100% improvement rate for children who receive Lovaas early treatment.

AUTISM CAN BE OVERCOME

While the prognosis for untreated autistic children is bleak, early intervention using a combination of educational and non-aversive behavioral approaches has been proven to be highly successful. This type of behavioural treatment (specifically the Lovaas method) allows the child to overcome the dysfunction, similar to the treatment of individuals who have suffered a brain injury or stroke. With these individuals, the brain is capable of compensating for the injury with appropriate therapy.

Skills are learned or relearned in a slow and methodical process. The Lovaas method of autism treatment, pioneered by Dr. Ivar Lovaas (UCLA) is not unlike the treatment for brain injuries and is now widely used throughout the world with remarkable success.

In a landmark study 1987 by Dr. Ivar Lovaas, it was shown that 47% of children who received early, intensive intervention achieved fully normal functioning by the first grade, gaining an average of 40 IQ points and recovering sufficiently to attend and advance in regular education classes. On a battery of tests administered to these children when they were 7 and again at 13 years of age, they were indistinguishable from their peers.