Canadian researchers launch French-language web site
on autism

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 2, 2008 – Obtaining up-to-the-minute, reliable, evidence-based information on autism just got easier for the 6.8 million Canadians whose first language is French.

The Canadian Autism Intervention Research Network (CAIRN) today launched a French version of its acclaimed autism information web site, www.cairn-site.com.  Canadians can now log onto the popular site and access either the French or English version to read plain language summaries of the latest in autism research worldwide.

Supported by funding from Health Canada, the French-language web site is a first for Canada and an important step in CAIRN’s commitment to make the latest and best evidence in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) accessible to all Canadians.

CAIRN is a network of researchers, clinicians, parents and policy makers working together to improve diagnosis and treatment of children with ASD.  The group is based at the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University, and has been involved in some of the most exciting recent developments in the field of autism research worldwide.

“Autism is a health issue that presents lifelong challenges to those affected, as well as to their family members and to society as a whole,” says the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health. “Having easy access to information, and knowing you can trust that information, can make a huge difference in the lives of these families. We want to ensure that all Canadians have access to the same high-quality, evidence-based information on autism.”

Dr. Eric Fombonne, a founding member of CAIRN who heads the McGill University Division of Child Psychiatry at Montreal Children’s Hospital, says finding high quality information on autism that is based on sound research methodology isn’t easy, especially on line.

“There is so much conflicting information on the Internet that it is difficult to know what to trust and what not to trust,” says Dr. Fombonne, who is one of the world’s foremost authorities on autism prevalence. “Our web site sorts through all the research and helps both parents and professionals make informed decisions based on the very best available evidence.”

Research findings on the CAIRN web site are grouped under four topics – diagnosis, prognosis, prevalence and treatment.  New studies are critically examined and the findings summarized in easy to read reports that describe how the study was carried out, what the researchers were looking for and what they found.  If the evidence is weak, it will be reported. If the methodology is sound and the findings can be trusted, the summaries will say so.

Says Dr. Fombonne: “We have no agenda beyond ensuring that people get the very best information based on the very best research.”

Recent studies show the prevalence of ASD is approximately 1 child in 150.  More than 200,000 Canadians are now diagnosed with ASD, and about 3,000 new cases are identified each year.   

Christine Caron, who heads the Réseau national d'expertise en troubles envahissants du développement (RNETED) based in Québec, says she welcomes the initiative to increase accessibility to the CAIRN web site. “Parents and professionals from all walks of life will find a reliable source of information to keep their knowledge current and support their interventions,” says Ms. Caron.

Adds Jo-ann Lauzon, Diretrice générale du Fédération québécoise de l’autisme et des autres troubles envahissants du développement (FQATED) : “The better informed people are about the latest developments in autism research, the better choices they can make around diagnosis and treatment. People will be able to read the findings and find out what works and what doesn’t.”

Christine Dade, President, and Kathleen Provost, Executive Director, Autism Society Canada, say this information will benefit all French-speaking Canadians across the country. “Close to 800,000 French-speaking Canadians live in provinces and territories other than Quebec,” notes Provost.  “Many have no resources available to them in their own language. It’s like a new door opening onto a world of information they have never been able to access before.”

Marie Jolicoeur of Burlington, Ontario, is one of those parents. “When my son was diagnosed with ASD, I was handed a package of information in English and even that was three years old and already out of date. This new web site means that French speaking families wherever they live will not be denied the information they need because of language barriers.”