AUCD Recognizes April as Autism Awareness Month
April 1, 2011
|
The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) joins with the autism community in promoting awareness about autism this April during Autism Awareness Month and throughout the year. The prevalence of autism and related developmental disabilities has increased dramatically in recent years; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that this developmental disability now affects one in every 110 children.
>>Read AUCD's press release on Autism Awareness Month.
What's Happening in Autism at AUCD
- Visit AUCD's ITAC: Interdisciplinary Technical Assistance Center on Autism and Related Disabilities to view many resources, funding opportunities, and events related to ASD and other DDs
- Visit AUCD's "Issues" section on Autism to view the latest network and related news about autism
- The Act Early Ambassador Program sponsored by the CDC-NCBDDD and HRSA's MCHB, and coordinated by AUCD. The purpose of this project is to develop a network of state-level experts to expand the reach of "Learn the Signs. Act Early." (LTSAE) campaign activities as well as support ongoing state awareness activities and improvement of early identification practices. Go to AUCD's Act Early Web Page for more information
- Go to AUCD's ACTION CENTER to learn about the the Combating Autism Act and how you can help to ensure that the law is reauthorized before it expires in September
- AUCD Members: join the AUCD Autism Special Interest Group (SIG) listserv to discuss and share network activities in autism
- See a summary of AUCD network activities related to Autism Spectrum Disorders [our Autism brochure]
Upcoming AUCD Webinars:
- The LEAP Model of Early Intervention for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Randomized, Controlled Study with Dr. Phillip Strain- April 26th, 2011 4:00-5:00PM Eastern Time
Find Past Autism Related Webinars in AUCD's Webinar Library
- March 18, 2011- What Would "Better" Diagnosis of ASDs Look Like?: DSM-5 and Beyond with Dr. Cathy Lord
- Feb. 22, 2011- Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Introduction for Those Who Work with Families from NY Act Early team
- Feb. 21, 2011- Parent-Implemented Early Communication Intervention for Children with Significant Communication Delays with Dr. Ann Kaiser
- Jan 25, 2011- Evidence-based Intervention for Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorders with Dr. Rebecca Landa
Our Federal Partners celebrate Autism Awareness Month:
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities of CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/index.html
- Maternal & Child Health Bureau: As part of their Autism Awarenss Month activities the Maternal and Child Health Bureau is offering a free webinar on the Autism Case Training (ACT.) For more information about the webinar visit the EVENT Page. For more information about MCHB's other autism related activities visit: http://mchb.hrsa.gov/autism/
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/autism/autism.cfm
- Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee: http://iacc.hhs.gov/
About AUCD
The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) is a membership organization that supports and promotes a national network of university-based interdisciplinary programs. Network members consist of:
- 67 University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD)
- 39 Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Programs and 5 LEND planning grants funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB)
- 14 Intellectual and Developmental Disability Research Centers (IDDRC), funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD)
These programs serve and are located in every U.S. state and territory and are all part of universities or medical centers. A full directory and more information are provided online at www.aucd.org
About Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person's ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause for autism, but increased awareness and funding can help families today. For more information about autism and early warning signs, see CDC's Autism Information Center and Learn the Signs Act Early Campaign.
