Autism

Link to a pamphlet on autism in English

Einhverfusamtökin was founded in 1977, and the members are parents, relatives, professionals, people with autism, and everyone that cares about autism and about the people that are on the autistic spectrum. The disabilities that are classified as being on the autistic spectrum, are the disabilities that fall under the international classification of ICD10.

Einhverfusamtökin (The Icelandic Autistic Society)

The Icelandic Autistic Society was founded in 1977 by parents and professionals.  The organisation is the joint interest group of people with autism, relatives, professionals and those that are interested in the interests of people on the autism spectrum.  The organisation holds lectures and courses, gives educational guidance, and has support groups for its members. During the winter months, the organisation has support groups for parents, one for autistic women, a few for people on the spectrum older than 18 years old, and a recreational and leisure group for the age 12-18 years old.

The operations of the organisation have mainly been focused on improving services to individuals with autism and related disabilities. A lot of emphasis has been made in participating fully in developing the services that are available for this group. A committee on behalf of the Ministry of Welfare that discussed the future organisation of services for individuals with autism, completed its assignment in 1996. Two representatives of the organisation sat on that committee. It is important that parents and other relatives are aware of the rights of their children and that they protect their rights. If you are not satisfied with the service that your child is receiving, we encourage you to contact us, wherever you are located in Iceland.

The organisation has emphasized education and presentations and it owns a lot of books and a few video cassettes that can be borrowed. It receives news bulletins from its sister organisations in Scandinavia and subscribes to several magazines on autism.

One of the goals of the organisation is to be a venue for reciprocal support for the relatives of those with autism, as it is very important for people to meet, to discuss and compare things, and to provide support. You are not alone. Please contact us, we can be of assistance to each other.

The office of the organisation is at Háaleitisbraut 13, 108 Reykjavík.  The telephone number is 562-1590.  The office hours are on Wednesdays from 9 to 15 and on Fridays from 9 to 12. The organisation´s e-mail address is: einhverfa@einhverfa.is