Resources & Funding
What is Autism?
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interactions and social communication and by restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior.
Early Signs of Autism
Autism spectrum disorder typically appears during the early years of life. Early assessment and intervention are crucial to a child’s long-term success.
Early warning signs include:
- Not responding to sounds, voices, or name
- No two-word phrases by 24 months
- Not showing items or sharing interests
- No social smiling by 6 months
- No babbling, pointing, or meaningful gestures by 12 months
- Unusual attachment to one particular toy or object
- No one-word communications by 16 months
- Loss of skills at any time
Poor eye contact
We encourage you to talk to your pediatrician about concerns. You can register with us for ABA therapy in the Brampton location.
How Prevalent is ASD?
While ASD is considered a relatively common neurodevelopmental disorder, it’s important to remember that each individual with ASD is unique and may have different strengths, challenges, and needs. The prevalence of ASD has been increasing over the past few decades, but it is difficult to determine an exact prevalence rate due to various factors such as changing diagnostic criteria, increased awareness, and improved diagnostic techniques.
According to the 2019 CHSCY, 1 in 50 (or 2.0%) Canadian children and youth aged 1 to 17 years were diagnosed with ASD.