Our Mission
First Signs is
dedicated to the early identification and intervention of
children with developmental delays and disorders.
With developmental disabilities on
the rise, there is much that remains poorly understood, from
cause to cure. However, there is one widely-accepted fact: Early
and intensive intervention can have a profound impact on the
quality of life for both children at risk and their families.
The key is
early detection. But recognizing the
first
signs of a developmental delay or disorder, such as autism,
can be a challenge for parents and healthcare professionals
alike.
Our organization aims to educate
parents, healthcare providers, early childhood educators, and
other professionals in order to ensure the best developmental
outcome for every child. Our goals are to improve screening
and referral practices and to lower the age at which young
children are identified with autism and other developmental
disorders.
The First Signs Web site provides a
wealth of vital resources, covering a range of issues: from
healthy development, to
concerns
about a child; from the
screening and referral process, to
treatments for autism spectrum disorders. We invite you to
explore our site in your search for answers.
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What's new and worth knowing
about...
Register now for a complimentary CME buffet dinner symposium in Boston on October 12.
First Signs and Boston University School of Medicine jointly
sponsor Autism Spectrum Disorders: Tools to
Manage Expectations and Outcomes. Speakers include:
Margaret L. Bauman, MD; Patty Manning-Courtney, MD; David T.
Miller, MD, PhD; and Amy M. Wetherby, PhD. The first 50
professionals to register for and attend this symposium will
also receive a complimentary copy of On the
Spectrum: Children and Autism (DVD). For more
information, click here. To
register,
click here.
AAP Urges Early
Autism Screening. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is
urging early screening for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) for
all children. View their reports:
“Identification and Evaluation
of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders” and
“Management of
Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders.” To view related press,
click here.
Introducing the
ASD Video Glossary, a revolutionary new Web-based video glossary to help parents and professionals learn more about the early signs and features of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). For more information,
click here.
To view ASD Video Glossary press, click here. To connect to the ASD Video Glossary,
click here.
Special offer. Order a First Signs Screening Kit and receive a free copy of the book,
Could it Be Autism? A Parent’s Guide to the
First Signs and Next Steps, by founder and president,
Nancy D. Wiseman. For more information,
click here.
Special offer.
Order one or more packages of First Signs Parent Brochures and receive 1/3 off! Each parent brochure
includes a pullout, wallet-size copy of the Hallmark
Developmental Milestones and Red Flags. For more information,
click here.
Promote developmental screening
in your state by airing First Signs public service announcement (PSA). Click here to view the 30-second PSA.
Please contact First Signs if your organization is interested in airing this PSA in your
community with your organization's name or logo in the last few
seconds, please contact First Signs.
NOTE: the PSA requires the Windows Media plug-in to play.
Click here to download the Windows Media plugin.
For the most complete listing of
upcoming autism-related conferences and events, visit the
Schafer Autism Report.
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