AUTISM HEARTS FOUNDATION is hosting the first International Autism Conference on Feb. 3-5, 2010 at the Philippine International Convention Center.

The conference will gather medical experts all over the world and will present the most current research, knowledge, information, diagnosis, assessment, treatments and policies surrounding autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in support of people under the spectrum and their families.

?Concerned individuals including health practitioners and teachers from all over the world will find their participation greatly beneficial as the conference will also highlight the launching of the Autism Institute of Asia, a locally based state-of-the-art, one-stop-shop center for research, treatment, therapy, support and services for children with ASD and their families, and the New York-based autism advocacy group Autism Speaks? Global Autism Public Health Initiative in the Philippines (GAPH), which is dedicated to service delivery and research collaboration on Autism,? said Autism Hearts Philippines executive director Christine Roa.

Among the presenters in the conference are leading experts from the Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND Institute, University of California Davis), an international, multidisciplinary research organization based in Sacramento, California.

Roa said that through this initiative, the Philippines would also have the opportunity to tell the world about the initiatives being undertaken by both the government and the private sector. It would also help highlight the close-knit family values that Fiipinos espouse.

?There is, indeed, a brighter tomorrow for people with autism. We just need to make it happen together,? added Roa.

An estimated 500,000 Filipinos suffer from ASD, a developmental disorder marked with impairments in social interaction and communication. Only five percent of whom get diagnosed while only two percent are given appropriate care.

Although people with autism are unable to function as self-sufficient adults with the effects of autism generally persisting throughout their lives, the right services and support can help them live full, healthy and meaningful lives.

Thus, for families of people with autism, a new educational approach, therapy or treatment would always be looked forward to with great enthusiasm and hope.

Just this year, individuals with autism and their families have been given another hope for better life and brighter future through Autism Hearts Philippines, the newly established local affiliate of US-based Autism Hearts Foundation.

Autism Hearts Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with autism and their families by fostering state-of-the-art research and developing programs, services and specialized training.

Autism Hearts envisions a world where each person with ASD receives the highest level of customized care and treatment, education, and lifelong support they deserve to become happy, contributing members of society.

It hopes to achieve this vision by helping maximize the potential of children and adults with autism spectrum disorders to enable them to learn, develop, function independently and participate in a full range of life experiences.