Community Awareness Training
Autism is now a community issue, based on both its prevalence and economic impact.
Prevalence:
The rate of autism is now an astounding 1 in 36 children. At this point, almost everyone has a family member or friend who is touched by autism.
The need for intervention is critical – the earlier, the better. Unfortunately, the average age of diagnosis is 4-years-old, meaning that we are missing valuable time.
Economic Impact:
Without effective interventions, most individuals on the spectrum will require some form of lifelong support, currently estimated at $2.4 million per person.
As individuals with autism age out of school programs, their parents must often leave their own careers to become caregivers.
Individuals with autism have a normal life expectancy; they will outlive their parents. For most, the long-term cost of care will fall to the community.
Awareness:
At Project Hope Foundation, we have speakers available to present information of a wide variety of topics, including:
· Symptoms of autism
· Effective intervention through Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy
· Educational models for students with autism
· Strategies for successful inclusion of children with autism
· Strategies to support families living with autism
· Community integration of individuals with autism
We welcome the opportunity to speak to your civic, faith-based, or community group. We also provide training and information for childcare providers and educators.