Autism Resources
Welcome to the UC Davis MIND Institute & Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (CEDD)
resource page for Autism.
What is autism?
According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 1 in 44 children born today have or will eventually have autism. That means that an estimated 1.5 million Americans have a neurodevelopmental disability that can limit a child's lifelong potential for independence. Autism is reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, and it is about 4 times more common among boys than among girls. Autism characteristics differ among individuals with the same diagnosis, yet all affected have impaired communication skills, difficulties initiating and sustaining social interactions and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior and/or interests.
One of the major roadblocks to understanding the causes of and finding effective treatments for autism is that it has diverse outcomes. Some individuals have seizures, but others do not. Some have troubling gastrointestinal problems, but others have none. Some have severe developmental delays, but others have normal or even enhanced IQs. This heterogeneity raises the possibility that there are several types of autism, with a variety of causes. This complexity limits both scientific progress and the development of effective treatments. Thus far, research on autism has not produced precise definitions of autism subtypes based on biomedical and behavioral characteristics.
Top resources on Autism for families
- 100 Day Kit for Newly Diagnosed Families of Young Children
- ADEPT Training Program: Behavioral skills training for parents of children with autism (English and Spanish)
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Autism
- Autism Speaks
- California Autism Professional Training and Information Network (CAPTAIN)
- California Department of Developmental Services
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Families for Early Autism Treatment (FEAT)
- Family Resources Network of California
- Parent Support Groups in Northern California
- Parents Guide to Autism: National Institute of Mental Health
Centers, networks and associations for autism
- Asperger Syndrome Education Network
- Autism Internet Modules
- Autism Society Society of America
- National Institute of Mental Health
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - Autism
- The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.
- The National Professional Development Center on Autism
- UC Davis Extension Autism
The websites listed are independent of the UC Davis MIND Institute and Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (CEDD). Resources are provided for information only and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of the UC Davis MIND Institute and Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.