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The National Society of Autism and Asperger
Autism- och Aspergerförbundet
Bellmansgatan 30
118 46 Stockholm
Sweden
Tel: 08 - 702 05 80
Fax: 08 - 644 02 88
E-mail: info@autism.se 

The National Society of Autism and Asperger in Sweden (Autism- och Aspergerförbundet) was founded in 1973. The target group is people with autism spectrum disorders and other diagnoses where autism is of frequent occurrence (Fragile X, Tuberous Sclerosis, Rett syndrome) and their families and relatives.

Today (2010) Autism- och Aspergerförbundet has 10.000 members, divided in 24 district societies whose number of memberships varies from 70 up to 1400.

Members of Autism- och Aspergerförbundet are people with autism spectrum disorders, their families and relatives as well as professionals. Members of the board are individuals with autism spectrum disorders, parents and professionals.

The objective of Autism- och Aspergerförbundet
The society is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation working to create the best possible conditions for children, adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders, using the following methods:

* in various ways spread information about autism spectrum disorders, in order to increase knowledge and understanding of the difficulties caused by the disorder that afflicts individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families

* work to improve services, in quantity as well as quality, for education, occupation and living

* give parents and professionals opportunities to exchange knowledge and experiences

*  take part on an international level, to follow and suggest new research within the field of autism spectrum disorders

Secretariat
Autism- och Aspergerförbundet holds an office with a director, legal advisors, an accountant, an assistant clerk and “ombudsmen”.

Internal activities
Every year Autism- och Aspergerförbundet holds an annual meeting preceded by a representative assembly meeting. The board, at least two representatives from each local society (depending on the number of members) as well as the office staff meet to discuss common issues at the representative assembly meeting.

Every autumn there is an annual conference, where the presidents of each district society together with the board of Autism- och Aspergerförbundet and the office staff meet for two days in order to discuss various current issues.

Activities for members
Autism- och Aspergerförbundets office is able to give assistance by telephone, e-mail or post to individuals with autism spectrum disorders, relatives as well as professionals. The assistance may consist of information about the diagnosis, legal rights, how to appeal a verdict, information about various programs, informative materials, literature etc.

Activities to raise awareness
Autism- och Aspergerförbundet actively works to raise awareness in politicians and authorities regarding issues that concern our group. By lobbying politicians, by participating in the work of certain official reports and by replying to governmental documents being referred to us for consideration. we achieve more awareness. Furthermore, by sending out the latest new material we continuously keep authorities updated and well informed.

Informative materials
Having up-to-date informative material is very important in our efforts to increase the knowledge about autism among members, general public and decision makers. We produce folders, booklets, articles and videos. The material is being used for educational purposes by authorities, local social insurances, children’s psychiatric clinics, group homes as well as being sold to private persons, schools and other authorities.

Magazines
The most important channels of information to our members are our magazine, Ögonblick, published four times a year. Ögonblick is distributed to all our members and non members can subscribe to the magazine.

National conference
Each year Autism- och Aspergerförbundet organizes a national conference for people with autism spectrum disorders, parents and professionals.

Center of training
Utbildningscenter Autism AB, UA, is a company owned by Autism- och Aspergerförbundet. It is a training center working with educating professionals as well as parents. This is done through seminars, work-shops and consultations.

UA is working with researchers and professionals from Sweden and from other countries as the USA, Great Britain and Belgium. UA has an affiliated status within the TEACCH program (Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication handicapped CHildren), the University of North Carolina, USA. UA has during several years under the guidance of TEACCH Division developed this training center with the ideas from the experience and the knowledge of the TEACCH program. In Sweden UA collaborates with about 30 professionals and “parent-professionals” from all over the country.

UA has also initiated part-time programs about autism spectrum disorders at the Universities of Växjö and Örebro.

UA also gives courses which offer extensive training in a certain area, e.g. communication as well as specially designed training courses that are adapted to the customer´s wish and need.

Projects
Alongside with the every-day work in Autism- och Aspergerförbundet we also run several projects, some of these in cooperation with other parties.

The Autism Foundation
The Autism Foundation was founded in 1994. The objective is to support good living conditions for persons with autism spectrum disorders of all ages. The Foundation shall work for its objective by giving contributions to research and development as well as to programs and projects.

Nordic and international contacts
The Nordic societies have a two-day yearly meeting to discuss common questions.

We stay in contact with European autism societies, as well as societies from other parts of the world, mainly by exchange of magazines and information materials and by participating in conferences in other countries.

Autism- och Aspergerförbundet is a member of Autism-Europe and the World Autism Organisation.

Family camps
More specific society activities like parent groups, excursions and study circles take place within the local societies. However each summer Autism- och Aspergerförbundet holds a three-week family camp as a complement to these activities. Some 15 families participate each week in these camps. At the camp there is staff responsible for food and practical work, who assist in planning various activities and who take care of the siblings and the individuals with autism during certain periods.

The families pay a small fee while the main part of the costs is covered by fundings. For many families this is the only possibility to have holidays together with their child with autism.

Financing
The work of Autism- och Aspergerförbundet is financed partly by funds from the State and partly by revenues from the selling of information materials, conferences, services and by member fees.