REGINA – The Government of Saskatchewan raised a flag Wednesday at the Legislative Building to recognize World Autism Awareness Day.
“World Autism Awareness Day highlights autism as a growing global health issue and activities surrounding this day increase global knowledge of the prevalence of autism,” said Keely Wight, the executive director of the Autism Resource Centre in Regina.
Watch the video below: World Autism Awareness Day
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological disorder that affects how a person interacts with people, their environment and processes information.
Spectrum disorders mean that symptoms can be present in a variety of combinations and can range from mild to severe.
Saskatchewan Health Minister Dustin Duncan affirmed the government’s commitment to improving targeted autism services and supports in the province on Wednesday.
In 2014-15, the province will contribute $7.55 million annually for ASD services like consultants, support workers, rehabilitation therapies and training for parents.
“We’re looking to evaluate what we’re doing with our dollars each year to see whether or not we could be doing a better job of where we provide our funding but it has been a high priority of our government,” said Duncan.
According to the Ministry of Health, an estimated one out of 93 children in Canada is affected by ASD.
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