Support Services Family support workers are available to provide counselling, programming for independence skills and social skills, management of problem behaviours and parent training courses. Assistance with recreational, vocational and accommodation requirements is also provided. For information about services in your region we recommend contacting your local autism association. What is Autism Autism is considered a developmental disorder in which sensory messages are impaired. People with autism have difficulties in communication, social behaviour and perception of the world we live in.
Autism is present at birth and the characteristics become evident in the first three years.
Parents are often aware of early signs in their child's lack of communication, play and in their limited responses to love and affection. Autism was first described by Leo Kanner in 1943. Autism occurs in approximately one in one thousand people. There are four times as many males diagnosed with autism as females. Each person with autism is different in many ways from others with the same diagnosis.