Author name: Ahmad

In what is anticipated to be one of the more innovative projects of its kind in the nation, researchers at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute are beginning a new program designed to improve autism research by bringing together a variety of scientific disciplines to cross-train behavioral and biological research scientists in the complexities of autism research. Thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute has launched a five-year program that exposes new, postdoctoral scientists to a wide range of expertise and research in neurodevelopmental disorders. While the institute has always taken a broad approach to the analysis and treatment of autism - combining everything from biology and human behavior to neurochemistry and immunology - officials have long wanted to expand that work. "What's really exciting about this project is that we will be training and creating a new type of scientist for autism research," said Sally J. Rogers, professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at the UC Davis School of Medicine and the program's director. "Knowing a textbook description of the disorder, having laboratory expertise, or having clinical experiences working with children with autism -- none of these is enough to significantly move the science forward. This training program gives us opportunities to pool our expertise and create a new wave of talented experts for autism research in an area of study might be best termed 'clinical neurodevelopmental neuroscience.'" Rogers said the new program allows young scientists with backgrounds in either behavioral or biological science to develop a specialized knowledge in particular areas of the disorder, while also being comfortable and knowledgeable in other aspects of autism such as genetics, epidemiology, human development, animal behavior and neuroanatomy. The new program pairs faculty members from different disciplines with postdoctoral students during the course of a two-year training period. The trainees will develop an expertise in relevant areas of neuroscience such as magnetic resonance imaging and histological studies of the autistic brain, while at the same time also gaining an understanding about the behavioral side of autism, which is crucial for designing studies and conducting autism research in a sensitive manner. UC Davis experts point out that studying autism also opens the way for understanding a much wider area of human development and developmental disabilities. Because autism touches most aspects of growth and learning, when the behaviors involved in autism are studied, researchers also discover a great deal about communication skills, social abilities, motor development and cognitive capacities -- all of which can be applied to research in other childhood disorders, as well into studies regarding typical child development. New research into language and movement disorders, fragile X, Down and Williams syndromes, has been enhanced by the progress in autism studies. Creating broad, interdisciplinary training for the study and treatment of autism could have benefits for a number of neurodevelopmental disorders, as well as improve knowledge about more typical human development. Researchers at the M.I.N.D. Institute say the great advantage of an interdisciplinary team approach lies in its ability to address a complex disorder like autism at many levels simultaneously. They say finding a cause or a cure demands a variety of vantage points, from the molecular to the behavioral. With the new training program in place, the next generation of autism researchers is expected to move much farther and faster by being able to communicate with each other through the core concepts and language of several major scientific disciplines.

FREDERICTON - A Hanwell woman says union hiring rules are stopping her autistic son from getting the education he deserves. Pamela Weaver wants School District 18 stand up to the CUPE before school starts on September 2. Johnny Weaver is five years old and is to start kindergarten in 11 days. He loves reading and bubbles and bouncing on a trampoline. He is also autistic. His parents have spent $40,000 on a specially trained therapist for him over the last three years. Therapist Tammy Close has been accepted as a teacher assistant by District 18 and placed on the casual list. Johnny's mother Pamela Weaver is demanding that Tammy be assigned as her son's full-time TA, but the district won't do that because the union contract with CUPE assigns TAs based on seniority. "They have told me that seniority comes first before my son's future," Weaver says. "They have told me that seniority gets the job placement whether they have the training or not." Weaver says Education Minister Madeline Dubé has told her that her hands are tied. Liberal Education critic Kelly Lamrock says Johnny's human rights are being violated and the government has to do what's best for Johnny. "It's time to stop hiding behind rules and it's time to start standing up for the kids in our system," says Lamrock. Weaver says she'll pursue a court challenge or a human rights case if her son doesn't get his trusted TA.

An autistic civil servant was fired by tax office managers after union representatives labelled him a health hazard, a tribunal has heard, writes Craig Brown. Patrick Roberts, 48, was sacked from his job with Customs and Excise when representatives from the LTS union described his behaviour as "a health and safety risk" to his fellow workers. Mr Roberts, who suffers from Asperger's syndrome - a form of autism - was disciplined following accusations that he deliberately shoved into female colleagues and listened in on their conversations. Mr Roberts was sacked in 2002 over a row with his line manager, which saw her sent home in tears. Managers later denied any knowledge of his Asperger's syndrome - which can lead to social awkwardness and eccentric behaviour - and claimed that they were only aware of him being on medication for depression. The father of two claims he was punished for behaviour linked to his disability and was suffering from depression at the time of the allegations. Mr Roberts, of Edinburgh, is claiming disability discrimination and unfair dismissal against Customs and Excise after he was dismissed from his job booking VAT inspections with businesses. The tribunal continues.

Carpenter M, Pennington BF, Rogers SJ. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany. carpenter@eva.mpg.de Many studies have shown that children with autism have difficulty understanding the thoughts and beliefs of other people. However, little research has been conducted on what these children understand about simpler mental states such as intentions. The current study tested the understanding of others' intentions in 2 1/2- to 5-year-old children with autism and a control group of children with other developmental delays. We used Meltzoff's (1995) test of understanding of others' unfulfilled intentions in an imitation context, with an additional "End State" condition. We found no significant between-group differences on any measure involving the understanding of others' intentions. Although within-group patterns suggested that children with autism may have a slightly less complex understanding of others' intentions than do other children, it was clear that any deficits these children showed in this area were not as marked as those they typically show on traditional theory of mind tasks. PMID: 11814270 [PubMed - in process] Welcome to the Families for Early Autism Treatment Website

By Dawn Prince-Hughes, Ph.D. HEATH frequently prints stories and testimonials from students and professionals with disabilities to inspire other students with disabilities and to inform the work of professionals and faculty who work with them. Dawn Prince-Hughes embodies both realms: she has Asperger's syndrome, an autism-spectrum disorder, and is an adjunct professor of anthropology at Western Washington University. The following excerpts appear here with the author's permission. The complete article can be found in Aquamarine Blue 5: Personal Stories of College Students With Autism (Swallow Press/Ohio University Press, 2002, http://www.ohiou.edu/oupress/aquamarine.htm, 152 pp., 0-8040-1054-4, $14.95), which she edited. What would make a college student rock back and forth vigorously in an anthropology lecture, staring off into space, seemingly unaware of the discomfort of those around her? What would make a student bring a map of Hawaii to physics class every day, to place it carefully before him and study it intently? What would make a student get up from her library chair every five minutes and twirl in a clockwise direction three times, only to sit down calmly again? Why would a student ask a professor in a very loud voice the same question seven times in a row? Or take several weeks to complete a simple, two-page English assignment? One might believe that students engaging in such behaviors are exhibiting signs of inattention, apathy, boredom, or worse: drug abuse, a rebellious nature, or perhaps a dangerous mental illness, leaving them completely out of touch and without any real connection to the society around them. The above descriptions, however, apply to college students with autism or disorders along its spectrum; students who, contrary to popular misconceptions, care deeply about connection; students for whom intellectualactivity and a place in academe are indispensable lifelines that give themthe relationships they need while providing an outlet for their unique intelligence. As autistic students, our internal needs and motivations are often at odds with the physical environment and many of the social and emotional demands of a college. Behaviors that are "normal" to us (talking long and enthusiastically about our special areas of interest, disregarding personal appearance and sometimes hygiene, speaking plainly rather than censoring our thoughts) and our coping mechanisms (small rituals, a need for continuous clarification, an attachment to comfort objects) make us stand out as odd and sometimes unwelcome. As promising students with special needs, we are often pushed from the one place that can maximize our potential and give our lives meaning. Most people, whether on campus or not, have beliefs about autism that are narrow at best. People tend to picture classic autism, or Kanner's syndrome -- which has diagnostic criteria that include extremely impaired social interaction and highly repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. Yet it has become clear since Kanner published on autism that the syndrome falls along a spectrum, classic autism being the most immediately identifiable, shading off into clinical pictures that are very difficult for people to notice in brief encounters. It is these relatively "invisible" autistic people who, by dint of their intellectual prowess, are most likely to find their way to a college and then to be misunderstood as students who are detriments to academe's goals: producing uniform scholars who learn well within a particular instructional range, freeing professors to engage in research which in turn brings the academy revenue and prestige. While many are familiar with a type of professor often caricatured-- absent-minded, eccentric, lacking in social skills, unquestionably brilliant -- high-functioning autistic students with those characteristics are not recognized in academe, even though the characteristics of high-functioning autism in children have been dubbed the "Little Professor Syndrome." That invisibility is certainly not because such "little professors," now turned older students, don't exist. Although many people think of the term "autistic university student" as an oxymoron, there is evidence that a potentially significant number of students in college fall on the autism spectrum. However, many brilliant students find college to be a formidable mixture of overwhelming sights and sounds, full of change and disruption. They quit, never to return, and a vast resource of intellect and unique insight is thus lost. Often people are not even diagnosed as having autism until adulthood. Most high-functioning autistic people, not knowing what is "wrong" with them, develop a lifetime pattern of using their intelligence to find ways to appear normal. The effectiveness of this strategy seems to improve with age. However, all of the autistic people I know (including myself) report that this strategy is not perfect and never hides our uniqueness completely. Like others who seek to be what they are not, we invariably end up with painful memories at best and self-loathing at worst. We push our memories aside as we grow older. Our parents may do the same. This is an unfortunate reality, because accurate memories of an autistic person's childhood and the histories of our symptoms are the very key to an accurate diagnosis. It is only recently that autism-spectrum disorders have begun to be more widely known not only to autistic people themselves and the professionals who diagnose and treat such problems, but also to those who provide services to the disabled, such as the counselors, advisers, professors, administrators, and other workers in disabled-student services at colleges and universities. It is of great importance that they begin to understand some of the common challenges for autistic students, including: Misdiagnosis. People with autism are often thought to have other disorders, like Tourette's syndrome, epilepsy, obsessive-compulsive disorders, generalized anxiety disorders, and anorexia. College counselors should learn about autism and its manifestations, as a correct diagnosis profoundly affects approaches to treatment. Psychological counseling. Counselors should be aware that talk therapy does not work for the treatment of autism. They should focus on helping autistic students cope with life as they are and not on changing the autistic person. Also, medications should be tested at low doses, as autistic people are often sensitive to them. Academic advising. Advisers should keep a student's

by Catherine Faherty A program to educate children about differences, and to foster empathy Catherine Faherty, Asheville TEACCH Center - Article provided courtesy of the TEACCH website at www.teacch.com/ Understanding Friends is designed to be presented to classes of students in the elementary and middle grades. Adaptations are made for older classes. This article contains lesson plans and a list of supplies that you will need. After fifteen years of presenting this program to thousands of students, I have found that it is most effective, in most cases, to go beyond the generic program and to discuss specific issues, giving accurate information about real students. The two options (B and C) will help you with this. A. Introduction to Understanding Friends: The Generic Program Understanding Friends can be presented as a "generic" program. Important concepts and issues will be presented and discussed; however specifics about a particular child or group of children are not brought up. The introduction is a complete program in itself and contains the following three parts. A complete description is given, beginning on the next page. Part 1 - Abilities: We are different and we are the same Part 2 - Experiential Activity Centers Part 3 - Receptive Language Demonstration The program can end here, or you can choose one of the following options. B. (OPTION) Introduction to a special class, and its members After the introductory program, information is shared about the special class, and its members. This is recommended if members of the general education classroom are peer tutors with the special students, and/or if members of the special class participate in activities in the general education classroom. C. (OPTION) Understanding your classmate After the introductory program, a discussion is facilitated about the classmate with autism. Typically, the classmate is a member of the general education class, where there are questions (and probably misunderstandings) about this student. Depending on the student, he or she might not be present for this initial discussion. NOTE ON CONFIDENTIALITY: If you are a teacher who wants to educate your students about autism and how it relates to the classroom environment and their classmate, it goes without saying that it must be done with the full permission of the child's parents. Depending on the age and level of understanding of the child, it may be desirable to have his or her permission as well. There may be individual situations where it may not feel right yet, to a particular family or child. Even beyond the ethics of confidentiality, which obviously apply here, it is imperative that the desires of those parents and children who are hesitant to share such personal information with others, must be respected. In these cases, you could present only the generic program. Lesson Plan for Understanding Friends A. Introduction to Understanding Friends: The Generic Program Understanding Friends can be presented as a "generic" program. General issues will be presented and discussed, however specifics about a particular child or group of children are not brought up. Adaptations are made depending on the ages of the students. This generic program serves as an introduction if you end with options B or C. The program usually takes about 45-60 minutes. SET-UP: Arrive ahead of time so you have plenty of time to set up the experiential activity centers. See the Understanding Friends Supply List and Description of Experiential Activities for further set-up information. Part 1 - Abilities: We are different and we are the same Explain to the class that the purpose of the program is to help them imagine what it might be like to have "different abilities" than they do now; to understand why some people act differently than they might expect. Write the word "ability" on the board and talk about what it means. Write the word "unique" on the board and talk about what it means. Explain that everyone has different abilities. Say that you want to find out how the students in the class are different. Have them raise their hands in response to questions, such as these: Who can ride a bicycle? Who can roller skate? Who can roller-blade? Who knows the multiplication tables through 5's? Who knows how to do long division? Who knows the multiplication tables 6's through 12's? Who has messy handwriting? (Or who needs more practice with their cursive?) Who has really, really, neat handwriting? Who is good at video games? Who runs in medium or slow speed? Who runs at a very fast speed? Who knows how to knit? Who can make a batch of cookies? Etc... It is important that not every child answers affirmatively to every question, so you can show diversity. So, for the youngest grades, or if all the students raise their hands for every question, it is best to include questions such as the following. Who has black hair ? Who has blonde hair? Who has brown hair? Who wears glasses? Etc... Comment on the fact that everyone has different abilities or qualities about themselves that make them unique among others. Now describe a scene on the playground, and ask..."Have you ever played kickball [or other relevant game] and when it was your turn to kick, you planned to really kick it hard so it would go far...and when the ball was pitched to you, you tried to kick it, but you missed?" You can act this out while you are talking to make it more dramatic. Ask "Who likes it when the other kids say, '...don't worry, try again, it's okay, you can do it,_...'?" Or who likes it when they say "...don't be so stupid, why did you do that?" Typically, all of the children will raise their hands to agree with wanting to be understood. Now ask "Who likes it when people understand you?" Questions can also be phrased slightly differently, like "Who wants friends who understand you?" or "Who likes it when their friends understand them?" Comment on the fact that even though everyone has different abilities,

This comes from Pete Wright of wrightslaw.com. The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal of a Fourth Circuit case. The issue is who has the burden of proof in a spec ed due process hearing. Two of the judges in the earlier case said it was the side that requested the hearing. The third judge, who is considered by many to be very conservative, said that the schools should have the burden of proof. This is only the second appeal that the US Sup Ct has agreed to hear since my 1993 Carter case. The outcome will have major ramifications on spec ed cases, from this point forward. The U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari to hear Brian Schaffer's appeal of an adverse 4th Circuit ruling in favor of Montgomery County MD Public Schools assigning the burden of proof to the party that initiates a due process hearing. The Fourth Circuit, in a 2-1 decision issued on July 29, 2004, held that: In sum, the IDEA does not allocate the burden of proof, and we see no reason to depart from the general rule that a party initiating a proceeding bears that burden. Congress was aware that school systems might have an advantage in administrative proceedings brought by parents to challenge IEPs. To avoid this problem, Congress provided a number of procedural safeguards for parents, but assignment of the burden of proof to school systems was not one of them. Because Congress took care in specifying specific procedural protections necessary to implement the policy goals of the Act, we decline to go further, at least insofar as the burden of proof is concerned. Accordingly, we hold that parents who challenge an IEP have the burden of proof in the administrative hearing. We reverse the judgment of the district court and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. Judge Luttig, in his dissent, stated that: I fear that, in reaching the contrary conclusion, the majority has been unduly influenced by the fact that the parents of the disabled student in this case have proven to be knowledgeable about the educational resources available to their son and sophisticated (if yet unsuccessful) in their pursuit of these resources. If so, it is regrettable. These parents are not typical, and any choice regarding the burden of proof should not be made in the belief that they are. For the vast majority of parents whose children require the benefits and protections provided in the IDEA, the specialized language and technical educational analysis with which they must familiarize themselves as a consequence of their child's disability will likely be obscure, if not bewildering. By the same token, most of these parents will find the educational program proposed by the school district resistant to challenge: the school district will have better information about the resources available to it, as well as the benefit of its experience with other disabled children. With the full mix of parents in mind, I believe that the proper course is to assign the burden of proof in due process hearings to the school district. I respectfully dissent. END The question presented is simply which side has the burden of proof, the party who initiates the hearing, or parents or schools. The parents are represented by Richmond VA atty, William Hurd. His Petition for a Writ of Certiorari is on our website at: http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/caselaw/05/ussupct.schaffer.petition.hurd.pdf The Fourth Circuit's ruling is also on our website in both pdf and html versions. They are located at: http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/caselaw/04/4th.schaffer.weast.md.htm http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/caselaw/04/4th.schaffer.weast.md.pdf William Hurd is an experienced US Supreme Court litigator. This is his third case before the Court. He has quite a track record. Given that the pro-child dissent was issued by a Judge considered to be conservative and "Scalia" like, we have lots of reason for optimism. More information about William Hurd can be found at: http://www.troutmansanders.com/att/bio.asp?id=611

Reuters Health - Attorneys for the Bush Administration asked a federal court on Monday to order that documents on hundreds of cases of autism allegedly caused by childhood vaccines be kept from the public. Department of Justice lawyers asked a special master in the US Court of Federal Claims to seal the documents, arguing that allowing their automatic disclosure would take away the right of federal agencies to decide when and how the material should be released. Attorneys for the families of hundreds of autistic children charged that the government was trying to keep the information out of civil courts, where juries might be convinced to award large judgments against vaccine manufacturers. The court is currently hearing approximately 1,000 claims brought by the families of autistic children. The suits charge that the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, which until recently included a mercury-containing preservative known as thimerosal, can cause neurological damage leading to autism. Federal law requires suits against vaccine makers to go before a special federal "vaccine court" before any civil lawsuit is allowed. The court was set up by Congress to speed compensation claims and to help protect vaccine makers from having to pay large punitive awards decided byjuries in state civil courts. Plaintiffs are free to take their cases to state courts if they lose in the federal vaccine court or if they don't accept the court's judgment. The current 1,000 or so autism cases are unusual for the court. Because it received so many claims, much of the fact-finding and evidence-gathering is going on for all of the cases as a block. Monday's request by the Bush Administration would prevent plaintiffs who later go to civil court from using some relevant evidence generated during the required vaccine court proceedings. Plaintiffs' attorneys said that the order amounted to punishment of the families of injured children because it would require them to incur the time and expense of regenerating evidence for a civil suit. "Wouldn't it be a shame if at the end of the day our policy would be to compensate lawyers," said Jeff Kim, an attorney with Gallagher Boland Meiburger & Brosnan. The firm represents about 400 families of autistic children who received the MMR vaccine. Kim accused the government of trying to lower "a shroud of secrecy over these documents" in order to protect vaccine manufacturers, who he said were "the only entities" that would benefit if the documents are sealed. While federal law clearly seals most documents generated in individual vaccine cases, it has never been applied to a block proceeding like the one generating evidence in the autism cases. Administration lawyers told Special Master George Hastings that they requested the seal in order to preserve the legal right of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to decide when vaccine evidence can be released to the public. Justice Department attorney Vincent Matanoski argued that to let plaintiffs use the vaccine court evidence in a later civil suit would confer an advantage on plaintiffs who chose to forgo federal compensation. "There is no secret here. What the petitioners are arguing for are enhanced rights in a subsequent civil action," Matanoski said of the plaintiffs. "They're still going to have unfettered use within the proceedings." Hastings would not say when he would issue a ruling on whether to seal the court documents, but did say that his decision would be "very prompt."

Article By: u n Article Date: 03/18/2008 The United Nations General Assembly in New York is preparing to mark the historic World Autism Awareness Day on Wednesday 2nd April. This United Nations initiative is the first ever World Autism Day and it has created a great deal of interest around the world as it provides a global platform for individuals and organisations to raise awareness about the condition and to raise funds for hundreds of autism organisations. The idea of having a World Autism Awareness Day came from the State of Qatar who lobbied to make this concept a reality. Qatar has turned the spotlight well and truly onto the world of autism. The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has been urged to launch a world autism strategy and convene a United Nations conference on autism in 2009. This is the ideal opportunity to engage with world leaders on the whole subject of autism. A highly respected Sri Lanka-born singer/songwrirer who has written for the cinema in South Asia, Nimal Mendis has decided to re-release one of his compositions to mark the UN World Autism Awareness Day through Media Eye Music in London. Mendis has won many awards for his compositions and he turned to the whole subject of autism when he met a young child with autism. The BBC and other UK radio stations played his song for autism, ‘Open Every Door’ on Autism Sunday. Media Eye Music in London is releasing a new version of ‘Open Every Door.’ This time it is being covered by a young South Asian star Gresha Schuilling who herself was appointed an Ambassador for Autism in Sri Lanka by the Autism Awareness Campaign. Gresha is a young singer with a powerful voice. She has committed herself to raising awareness of autism and Asperger’s Syndrome in South Asia. Gresha is hoping that her version of ‘Open Every Door’ will reach an international audience - the CD is being released for the United Nations World Autism Awareness Day on 2nd April. ‘Open Every Door’ is the cry of every parent and carer who has a child with autism. It is a moving song - copies of the Nimal Mendis song have been given to Prime Minister Gordon Brown and to the Leader of the Opposition David Cameron in the United Kingdom. Music fans interested in purchasing the ‘Open Every Door’ CD have been requested to contact Mr. Nimal Mendis via his website: www.mediaeyeproductions.com

Dr. Jeanette Holden (Queen's University) is leading a group of over 60 researchers, clinicians and parents from across Canada and the US who have formed a multidisciplinary research team called the Autism Spectrum Disorders - Canadian American Research Consortium (ASD-CARC). This group has secured funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Ontario Mental Health Foundation (OMHF) to: ¨ gain a better understanding of the biological basis of ASDs, ¨ determine the very earliest of signs of ASD during infancy, ¨ identify genes important in determining risk for ASDs, and ¨ develop methods for identifying individuals at risk for ASD during infancy so that treatments can be introduced even earlier, optimizing outcomes for children with ASDs. How You Can Participate. You are invited to participate in several different studies: 1) Autism Spectrum Disorders Research Registry. If you have one or more children with ASD, please register your family at www.autismresearch.ca. Through the Registry we will inform families of various studies and invite your participation. We are asking for basic information, which may help us to identify child and family factors that may be shared with many other families with a child with ASD, including ASD symptoms, obstetrical history, family history, etc. 2) Genetics of ASDs. We invite families on the Research Registry with two children with ASD or with one affected child and another affected family member in the extended family (e.g. parents, cousins, nephews, etc.) to participate in genetics research. By identifying the genetic factors across a large number of families, we hope to be able to (a) develop a simple blood test that will predict who is likely to develop ASD, (b) learn how these genes work to predispose an individual to ASD, and (3) contribute to the development of dietary, pharmacological or other treatments that could reduce or eliminate symptoms. We will also notify families on our Research Registry when we extend genetic testing to families with one affected member. 3) Clinical and Behavioural Studies in ASD. We invite all families on the Research Registry to participate in a variety of on-line questionnaires about ASD symptoms or other related factors. Families living close to one of our Regional Centres may also be invited to participate in direct assessments. All clinical and behavioural information about the affected children and their families will be associated with genetic information to determine whether families who share the same genetic patterns also share some of the same behavioural and family characteristics, thus forming a "genetic subgroup of ASD". 4) Prospective Study: Families with one or more children with autism who have a new baby (under 1 year of age) are invited to participate in a Prospective Study of Autism in which they will be asked to track their infant's development over the first three years of life. Our goal is to develop an early detection tool for identifying autistic symptoms before one year of life. With early detection of ASD in children at-risk, our plan is to develop very early intervention strategies to prevent the full expression of autistic symptoms in these infants. 5) Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Canada. The Epidemiology study will examine specific regions of Canada in great detail to determine the prevalence and incidence of ASDs in Canada, in order to help plan services and to determine whether changing incidences are due to specific causative factors. Contact Information: Please register your family in our Research Registry at www.autismresearch.ca. For more information, contact Dr. Becky Ward by email (autism@post.queensu.ca), phone (613) 548-4417, ext. 1130, or mail (see below). We are very grateful to all families who consider participating in our studies. We know that your time is valuable and that by participating you are helping not only your own families, but future families as well. Thank you. Becky Ward, PhD, C. Psych. Clinical Research Coordinator Autism Research Program (ASD-CARC) Ongwanada Resource Centre 191 Portsmouth Avenue, Kingston, Ontario K7M 8A6