By James Peters

On World Autism Awareness Day, new diagnoses aren’t as scary as they once were

Apr 2, 2018 | 3:18 PM

KAMLOOPS — An advocate for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) says the medical field is getting better at detecting the condition.

Today is World Autism Awareness Day, and Chris Rose Therapy Centre for Autism Executive Director Wanda Carisse says there are well over 100 children and adults in Kamloops with ASD.

Carisse says children can be diagnosed with the disorder as early as two years old, but adults can be diagnosed as well.

She notes it’s important that society accepts ASD may present differently for each person who has it.

“When you know one individual with ASD, you truly only know one individual,” Carisse says. “Their sensory system and their communication system and their socializing is specific to them. It’s not just, ‘We know somebody with autism; we know they don’t like to be touched.’ That’s just not true. It depends on each individual person.”

Two and Out

PETERS: Business owners shouldn't be held responsible for nuisance calls

Nov 15, 2024

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: November 14, 2024

Nov 15, 2024

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: What is the difference between a food policy council and frontline services?

Nov 15, 2024

“It’s just really important that we understand what it is, how people with autism can be functioning members of our society, how they offer so much to us, and how we can help them with some of their difficulties so that they can function to the best of their abilities.”

The Chris Rose centre offers programs for more than 60 children and adults.

Carisse says approximately one in 68 children have been diagnosed with ASD, and that rate has increased in recent years.

“We used to talk of one in 10,000 with what you would call ‘classic autism,’ and now we refer to Autism Spectrum Disorder. So I think we’re better at detecting it. We recognize that there are levels of Autism Spectrum Disorder, and we also believe that the incidents have increased.”

For those parents encountering a new diagnosis, Carisse says it doesn’t have to be a scary proposition.

“It is really important that, as a parent, you recognize that there is treatment out there, that we can treat those symptoms, and that individuals with ASD give us so much. It might be scary. There might be some unknown, but we can take away some of that unknown and we can make sure that that individual is functioning at their highest level.”

A fundraising awareness walk for the Chris Rose Therapy Centre for Autism will be held on Saturday, April 28.