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ACTNOW Fact Sheet 8
AUTISM AND SURFING THE NETby Dr Avril BreretonThe net is an amazing source for information on just about anything you can think of. For many people, their first attempt to find information about autism can be a very confusing process. How do you know which websites are reputable? Where can you find accurate information? The Internet is often used as if it were a library, to access information. However, the Internet lacks the checks and balances of a library where reliable and valid information is available because of a review system involving guidelines for acquisition and accreditation. A recent study by Chowdhury et al. aimed to qualitatively evaluate the content of the Internet as an information source for families of children with autism and concluded that: “the challenge to parent consumers is the identification and accessing of valid sites”. (see reference at the end of this fact sheet). We are often asked about where to go on the net to find out more about autism. We list below some local and international sites that you can visit for information that is accurate, up to date and for the most part written by experts.
AUSTRALIAN WEBSITES
Autism Victoria acknowledges the importance of cooperative partnerships between parents, services and professionals. Membership is made up of parents, agencies and professionals working together to achieve the association's mission - quality services, systemic acknowledgment and public awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorders, and the minimisation of the distress caused by Autism Spectrum Disorders. All projects undertaken by Autism Victoria seek to enhance and extend the cooperative partnerships between families, carers and services. http://www.autismvictoria.org.au/ AUTISMHELP.INFO BETTER HEALTH CHANNEL - AUTISM HEALTHINSITE - AUTISM
INTERNATIONAL WEBSITESAUTISM SOCIETY OF AMERICA The mission of the Autism Society of America is to “promote lifelong access and opportunity for all individuals within the autism spectrum, and their families, to be fully participating, included members of their community”. Education, advocacy at state and federal levels, active public awareness and the promotion of research form the cornerstones of ASA's efforts to carry forth its mission. The growing membership base of ASA encompasses a broad, diverse group of parents, family members, special education teachers, administrators, medical doctors, therapists, nurses and aides, as well as countless other personnel involved in the education, care, treatment and support of individuals with autism. Recognizing and respecting the diverse range of opinions, needs and desires of this group, ASA embraces an overall philosophy which chooses to empower individuals with autism, their parents or caregivers, to make choices best suited to the needs of the person with autism. At the very core of the parent choice philosophy is the belief that no single program or treatment will benefit all individuals with autism. Furthermore, the recommendation of what is "best" or "most effective" for a person with autism should be determined by those people directly involved - the individual with autism, to the extent possible, and the parents or family members. Providing information and education to help in decision-making are more highly regarded at ASA than is advocating for one particular theory or philosophy. http://www.autism-society.org/ NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY AUTISM CONNECT NINDS - AUTISM YALE CHILD STUDY CENTER NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR AUTISM RESEARCH The mission of the National Alliance for Autism Research is to “fund, promote and accelerate biomedical research and science-based approaches that seek to determine the causes, prevention, effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure for autism spectrum disorders. This mission includes providing grants to researchers for innovative, new pilot studies; mentoring fellowships to recruit new researchers to focus on autism; and funding larger, collaborative research programs that have the potential to yield major scientific advances in autism research”. http://www.naar.org/
INFORMATION ON SPECIFIC TOPICS
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