Douglas Hospital hosts its mental health movie series June 1-29, 2005

One in two hundred Canadians is diagnosed with autism, a developmental disorder of the brain. This disorder is the focus of next week’s (June 1, 2005) Frames of Mind launch, the Douglas Hospital’s movie series showcasing five films with a mental health theme. Douglas Hospital Clinician, Leslie Klein, PhD, and Occupational Therapist Melissa Di Fruscia, will host the evening, discussing the movie Rain Man, and talking about their experience in treating children with autism and conducting research on the matter. The community is invited to come watch the movies and participate in the discussion. Entrance is free.

"Autism is one of the most common developmental disabilities, yet many people are not familiar with the disorder," says Leslie Klein. "The movie Rain Man did an excellent job of profiling an autistic individual. It was successful in introducing this disorder to the general public."

Autism, a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life, is four times more prevalent in boys than girls. It is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the function of the brain. Symptoms of autistic children and adults include:

• Difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication and social interactions
• Repetition of body movements (hand flapping, rocking, etc)
• Unusual responses to people
• Resistance to changes in routines
• Sensitivities in sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste

Autism is a genetically inherited disorder but it does not result from a single flawed gene. Instead many genes play a role in the disorder. Leslie Klein, and colleagues at the Douglas including Ridha Joober, MD, PhD, are collaborating with other members from the McGill community to pinpoint the genes involved. These studies involve large groups of patients and their families. Identifying the genes may lead to diagnostic tests and may identify targets for drug development.

NB. The film will be shown in English with French subtitles, discussion will be bilingual. Entrance is free.

Information

Florence Meney
Media Relation
Communications and public affairs
Phone: 514-761-6131, ext. 2769
Cell.: 514-835-3236
florence_dot_meney_At_douglas_dot_mcgill_dot_ca