Childhood autism in Canada : Autisme infantile au Canada, questions relatives à l'intervention comportementale

L I B R A R Y. O F. P A R L I A M E N T B I B L I O T H È Q U E. D U. P A R L E M E N T 3 What differentiates Autistic Disorder from Asperger’s Syndrome is a “qualitative impairment in communication” manifested by at least one of the following: • Delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language; • In individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or su [...] L I B R A R Y. O F. P A R L I A M E N T B I B L I O T H È Q U E. D U. P A R L E M E N T 4 INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF DIAGNOSED CHILDREN According to Statistics Canada, the number of “persons with autism or any other developmental disorder” was just above 69,000 in 2003, or about 1 in 450 Canadians.(8). [...] The recent figures may be driven by a rise in the condition among young children or, alternatively, by a series of other factors, including a broadening of the definition of autism, increased public awareness, improved symptom recognition and diagnosis, and improved survey methodology. [...] However, the research to date is not at a level of experimental sophistication that permits unequivocal statements on the efficacy of a given approach, nor do the data support claims of “recovery” from autistic spectrum disorders as a function of early intervention.(13) Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention (EIBI) is a generic term for the therapeutic approaches that have evolved from the work [...] L I B R A R Y. O F. P A R L I A M E N T B I B L I O T H È Q U E. D U. P A R L E M E N T 7 depending on the intensity of the program and the hourly rate of the professionals involved (psychologists, speech therapists, EIBI technicians, specialized educators).