April is World Autism Awareness month, dedicated to increasing awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD).
Autism Partnership (AP), one of the largest and most established Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) service providers for ASD in the world, continues its efforts to spread awareness, promote acceptance, and ignites change through this meaningful online summit this April.
The summit will discuss topics that will make a difference to parents and their children with ASD, and will address the importance of early intervention, continuous training and ongoing support through the different ages in a child of ASD.
What is Autism?
Autism is a severe disruption of the normal development process and is often diagnosed within the first few years of life. Autism is viewed as a spectrum or a continuum of disorders, with varying degrees of severity and levels of functioning. The term Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is frequently used interchangeably with autism. Diagnoses such as Asperger’s Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Autistic Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorders (Not Otherwise Specified) from DSM-IV are all included within the umbrella of ASD in DSM-5.
Symptoms
With the advancement in diagnostic tools, most children with autism can be reliably diagnosed by the age of 3, and earlier diagnosis is even possible for children as young as 12 months old. Parents are usually the first to notice peculiarities with their child’s development that do not follow the typical norm. Some of these peculiarities noted by parents include sudden regression and onset of social aloofness and/or a lack of progress after the child has reached certain developmental milestones. Although symptoms of autism vary from child to child, the core areas affected include:
These essential skill deficits cause children to fall progressively further behind their typical peers as they grow older. The cause is unknown, but evidence points to physiological and neurological abnormalities. Children with autism generally do not learn in the same way that children normally learn, because, in part, they lack the fundamental skills which enable them to acquire and process basic information. These difficulties result in significant delays in their development of language, play and social skills, including their failure to notice and learn through imitation of their peers.
Prevalence
On March 27, 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the new Autism Spectrum Disorder prevalence is now 1 in 68 children ( 1 in 142 boys and 1 in 189 girls ). A 30% increase from 1 in 88 two years ago. The largest increase was seen in children who have average or above-average intellectual ability, according to the CDC.
According to the report, the average age of diagnosis is still over age 4, even though autism can be diagnosed by age 2. The earlier a child is diagnosed with autism, the better their changes of overcoming the difficulties that come with the disorder. There are still disparities in awareness and access to care among minorities and underprivileged families, which can have a direct impact on a child.
How to help children with ASD?
AP holds the belief that every child deserves to thrive, and specifically, AP believes children and individuals with autism should have the opportunity to realize their inherent potential and achieve the greatest degree of independence and highest quality of life possible. AP also believes that through intensive early intervention of Autism Partnership Method (APM), a progressive model of ABA that is highly individualized, child friendly, holistic and focused on “in-the-moment analysis” and “clinical judgement”, those affected can reach amazing potential, foster meaningful relationships and lead productive lives.With the aim of spreading awareness of ASD and Quality ABA early intervention, this event focuses on:
- Providing information and resources for communities to be more aware of ASD, promote acceptance, and be more inclusive in everyday life
- Sharing insights on quality intervention and effectiveness of AP method (APM)
- Listening to the different voices from parents of children with ASD and getting to know the progress they have achieved with APM
Date and Time
| Day 1 | Day 2 |
| April 3rd, 2021 (Saturday) | April 4th, 2021(Sunday) |
| 1:00pm-4:15pm (HKT) | |
Language
Main Language: English With Subtitles in: Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Bahasa Indonesia
Continue Education Units
| Organization | Professionals | Units |
| The Behavior Analyst Certification Board | BCBA/ BCaBA | 7 Units |
| Hong Kong Institute of Speech Therapists | Speech Therapists | 6 CEPST Points |
| Social Workers Registration Board (Voluntary Continuing Professional Development Scheme for Registered Social Workers) | Social Worker | 13 Units |
| The Hong Kong Psychological Society | Member of The Division of Educational Psychology (DEP) Member of The Division of Counselling Psychology (DCoP) | 6.5 CEU |
Fees
| Regular Price | Early Bird Price (before Mar 28, 2021) | |
| Professionals for CEU credits | HKD 500 | HKD 350 |
| Parents of Children with ASD and others | FREE | |
Partners
Payment Methods
