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Message from the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health
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Autism Awareness Month
October, 2011
Autistic disorders are heart-breaking conditions because they can cause developmental disabilities in very young children that may affect them for the rest of their lives. These disorders are typically diagnosed in children before they reach their fifth birthday.
Autistic disorders have a broad range of symptoms. They can be mild to severe and tend to result in problems with social interaction, communication and behaviour. In Canada, it is estimated that Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) affect as many as 1 in every 150 children, as well as the lives of their families, friends and caregivers.
Important advances have been made in the way we care for and educate Canadians living with ASDs. Yet more research is needed to learn what causes these disorders and to help develop better treatments and interventions so that those afflicted with ASDs can live more normal lives.
As Minister of Health, I am pleased that the Government of Canada, in cooperation with our colleagues in the provinces and territories, is setting up a national surveillance system to establish reliable data to:
- determine how common ASDs are and how rates differ across Canada;
- describe the population of Canadians living with ASDs; and
- understand changes in the number of children being diagnosed over time.
This information will help in developing programs to serve the needs of Canadians living with ASDs and their families and caregivers. In addition, the Government has invested approximately $40 million on autism-related research since 2000.
In closing, I want to congratulate the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorders Alliance and Autism Speaks Canada for their dedicated work in this area.
Leona Aglukkaq
Minister of Health
Government of Canada
