Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital will "Light it up Blue" for autism.

TORONTO, ON –This Monday, April 2, Holland Bloorview will shine a light on autism! Each year, prominent buildings from across North America and the world - including the Empire State Building in New York City and the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada - commemorate World Autism Awareness Day by taking part in the Autism Speaks "Light it Up Blue" campaign. Holland Bloorview will participate by changing elements of the building's exterior lights to blue to raise awareness for autism.

Holland Bloorview is at the centre of world leading research in autism.The Autism Research Centre (ARC) at Holland Bloorview conducts research aimed at improving outcomes and quality of life for children with autism spectrum disorders. This includes innovative research to understand the biology and symptoms of autism, develop novel interventions for children and adults with autism, and investigate service delivery models.

In March 2012, Holland Bloorview researchers received a grant from the Ontario Brain Institute to lead the Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Disorders Network (POND) project. Autism Research Centre scientist, Dr. Evdokia Anagnostou, heads this project, which brings together a multidisciplinary team of scientists, clinicians, engineers, and community stakeholders to perform biomedical research studies aimed at understanding autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, obsessive compulsive disorders, and intellectual disabilities.

About Holland Bloorview

Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital is Canada's largest children's rehabilitation teaching hospital. Our vision is to create a world of possibility for kids with disabilities. Holland Bloorview is a world-class teaching hospital fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. We train future health-care specialists in the field of childhood disability. The Bloorview Research Institute is located onsite, allowing us to integrate cutting-edge research and teaching with frontline care to improve children's quality of life.

About the Autism Research Centre at Holland Bloorview

Part of the Bloorview Research Institute at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, The Autism Research Centre (ARC) conducts research aimed at improving outcomes and quality of life for children with autism spectrum disorders. ARC is co-led by Dr. Evdokia Anagnostou and Dr. Jessica Brian, and brings together a team of professionals with a wide range of expertise, including neurology, developmental pediatrics, psychology, psychometry, engineering, early intervention, occupational therapy, speech and language pathology, and nursing.