SARRC is teaming-up with the American Academy of Pediatrics Arizona Chapter (AzAAP) to encourage medical professionals to “Think Asperger’s” when treating young patients. The awareness campaign is part of SARRC’s ongoing efforts to increase screening for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) amongst children of all ages, including children who may slip through the cracks of early childhood developmental screening because their symptoms are less subtle.
(Patty Dion, Dr. Raun Melmed, and Dr. Delphis C. Richardson at the 38th Annual AzAAP Conference)
Armed with a fun, thought-provoking campaign titled, "Hyperkeraboutcha" (hyper-care-about-you), SARRC joined the AzAAP at the 38th Annual Pediatrics in the Red Rocks conference in Sedona, capturing the attention of attendees. “The goal of the campaign is to shine a spotlight on the more subtle signs of autism and Asperger’s Disorder,” explains SARRC’s Education & Training Director Sheri Dollin, M.Ed. “We’re here to help provide the medical community with resources and tools that will help identify kids that might be at risk at the earliest age possible.”
Pediatricians are on the front lines when it comes to identifying children with autism. Prior to the diagnosis label change, some children in their middle school years might have received a diagnosis of Asperger’s Disorder. Despite the name of the diagnosis, the reality is that children with more subtle signs of social challenges can and do slip through the cracks.
Help SARRC and its partners spread awareness for autism and screening of school age children for social disorders by sharing information with your child’s teacher or school. Visit thinkasperger's.org for more resources.
Physicians interested in learning more about SARRC’s Think Asperger’s program can email [email protected] to request information.