AUTISM Queensland will reap the rewards of next year’s Sunday Mail Suncorp Bridge to Brisbane fun run after being selected as the major beneficiary.

It hopes funding from the 2010 event will help it expand services to 3000 Queensland families. Autism Queensland marketing and fundraising manager Paula Davidson said it hoped to extend services to regional centres such as Cairns and Rockhampton.

“We have extreme waiting lists in those regional areas,” she said.
Funding will be used to support the Kidstart Outreach Early Intervention Programs, which help autistic children aged six years and under.

The programs help parents to understand autism, develop strategies for their children, provide access to therapists and guidance. They focus on communication, behavioural issues and daily skills.

Research shows early intervention can help autistic children develop skills to help them succeed at school.

Autism, a neuro-biological condition, affects one in every 160 children in Australia. Children with autism have problems communicating, socialising, processing information and adapting to changes in their environment.

“We operate at a deficit and for us to be able to raise our profile and also funds is just phenomenal,” Ms Davidson said.

This year’s Sunday Mail Suncorp Bridge to Brisbane raised $301,057 for the Heart Foundation.

It also raised $23,400 for other charities. Individual entrants raised a further $241,626. The total raised was $566,083 and 45,281 people took part in the run, a 23 per cent rise on 2008.

Next year’s Sunday Mail Suncorp Bridge to Brisbane will be on August 29.