WELCOME

Dear Members of the ASD Community,

On behalf of Autism-Europe aisbl and our local organisers, Autismo Italia onlus, it is a pleasure to invite you to the IX International Congress Autism-Europe which will take place in Catania, Sicily from 8 - 10 October 2010. The main theme of the Congress ‘A Future for Autism’ will build on the most recent advances in scientific knowledge and contemporary approaches to disability in order to investigate the best possible future for persons with ASD and their families. Since it was founded in 1983, Autism-Europe has worked constantly to improve the quality of life of persons with ASD and their families. Over the years, we have focused our actions on raising awareness and on addressing international and European institutions in order to ensure the inclusion of persons with ASD in civil society and the recognition by law of their fundamental human rights. Over the years, persons with ASD have been the target of false beliefs and they and their families have constantly suffered the consequences of unreliable treatments. Autism Europe has made every effort to divulge reliable, evidence-based information through collaboration with important professional organisations such as IACAPAP and ESCAP. We ensure the high scientific quality of our international congresses through the support and participation of internationally renowned experts in the field of ASD. The IX international Congress Autism-Europe will again bring together an interdisciplinary forum to examine state-of-the-art scientific knowledge and current cultural approaches in the field of ASD. The radical innovation that has taken place in recent years will make this Congress too important to be missed. In the certainty that you will take this opportunity to share your knowledge and that together we can shape ‘A Future for Autism’, Autism-Europe looks forward to welcoming you to the IX International Congress and to Sicily, the scented isle and exceptional historic testimony to Mediterranean civilization. Evelyne Friedel
President, Autism Europe