April is for Autism

Hello readers and supporters,

April is Autism Awareness and Acceptance month. In April (just as during all other months of the year!), we really focus on sending messages of awareness and inclusion to those we reach. As there is a high need of general awareness in Senegal, we decided to speak on topics far broader than treatment and therapy.

This month, we ran a training with a local professional development program called IAB - Institut Académique des Bébés. This program focuses on the 0-3 age group level, teaching adults of all ages key developmental progressions and issues within very young children across a span of about 10 months. After a final temporary work placement, their students are certified and able to return to their hometowns (if not Dakar) to continue the chain of education and professional growth themselves. To find out more about this program, visit their web page at http://iabsenegal.com.

Adair's talk, "Introduction to Autism," addressed the major components of autism today, including core and associated symptoms at very young ages, diagnostic procedures and needs, known causal factors, and practical teaching strategies.