Autism is a complex developmental disability that is a result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain. It typically affects a person’s ability to communicate, form relationships, and respond appropriately to the environment.

The characteristics or symptoms of autism can present themselves in a variety of combinations, to varying degrees of severity. In some cases, children and adults with autism may display aggressive and/or self-injurious behaviour. They may also exhibit repeated body movements (rocking, hand flapping, pointing), unusual responses to people, attachments to objects, and resistance to changes in routines. Individuals may also experience sensitivities in sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. They may cover their eyes and/or ears if they experience sensory overload.

Recent studies by Canadian researchers show the prevalence rate of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is 1 in 165, with an estimated 70,000 individuals with ASD in Ontario.

Video Player Controls

Screen reader users:
Tab into the tool bar.
Then turn the virtual cursor/buffer off to enable pass-through mode.
For JAWS: Insert + Z.
For NVDA: Caps Lock + Space Bar.
For Window-Eyes: Ctrl + Shift + A.
Right and left arrow keys navigate tool bar controls.
Keyboard shortcuts are also available while in pass-through mode:
Alt Control P for play and pause.
Alt Control S for stop.
Alt control M for mute.
Alt control R doubles size of player.
Alt control T toggles focus between elapsed time and toolbar.
VoiceOver users: Use the Enable Player VoiceOver Access button to make the toolbar button text display and then use the Focus Toolbar button to jump into the toolbar. (VoiceOver with Safari 3, only. Safari 4 beta does not work with toolbar. Disable VoiceOver and use keyboard shortcuts.)