UC Davis program to help autistic children goes statewide

A statewide billboard campaign has been launched focusing on the UC Davis MIND Institute’s efforts to develop improved treatments for children with autism spectrum disorders. 
 
The billboards depict a young child and state: “Making breakthrough discoveries in the causes of autism,” and then provide contact information for the MIND Institute, which was founded in 1998 to coordinate research into autism and other disorders.

The billboards were made possible through the support of the California State Outdoor Advertising Association (CSOAA), which contributed $50,000 to the enterprise.

The collaboration received praise from California Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento.  

“I am inspired by the tremendous advances being made in the diagnosis and treatment of autism,” Steinberg said. “It is crucial we get the word out so that families can obtain the necessary support to overcome this challenging disorder.”

Leonard Abbeduto, director of the MIND Institute, expressed his gratitude to the outdoor advertising association for its contribution to the campaign.

“We are most appreciative of the support of the CSOAA. By publicizing the MIND Institute, the CSOAA is connecting us with the families who we can help through our clinical services and who can help us by participating in our research,” Abbeduto said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in 110 children born today have autism. An estimated 1.5 million families cope with a neurodevelopmental disorder that threatens their child’s independence. 

The Sacramento-based UC Davis MIND Institute is an interdisciplinary research center where parents, community leaders, researchers, clinicians and volunteers collaborate to study and treat autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. The institute has conducted major research into autism, Tourette syndrome, fragile X syndrome, chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Additional information about the institute, including previous presentations in its Distinguished Lecture Series, is available on the web at mindinstitute.ucdavis.edu.