Review by Talia Grosser: Special Educator and Hunter College Graduate Student
The Autism Society of America website is a great resource for many individuals
who are interested in learning more about autism. It targets those who know
about autism, those who are beginning to learn about autism, and family
members of those affected by autism. The Autism Society looks to improve the
lives of parents of newly diagnosed children who don’t know where to turn, to a
sibling of an individual with autism, and provides basic information for those
who are learning about the disorder.
The website gives a brief explanation of what autism is and lists various signs to
look for in a child. It lists the symptoms of the disorder, but cautions the reader
that these “red flags” don’t necessarily mean the child has autism. Rather, it
encourages one to bring their child for further evaluations to confirm that their
child’s development is typical. Various causes of autism are listed, as well as
facts and statistics relevant to autism. A comprehensive explanation of the
symptoms, diagnosis and causes are all presented for those who are first
learning about the autism disorder.
The website is very organized and simple to navigate. It is split into sections and
has subtopics that provide more detailed information. The Autism Society
developed in-depth information on a variety of topics related to living with
autism. This information is very helpful to families, and provides some basic
tools to help their loved ones who are affected by autism. Many resources are
available, along with treatment options and personal inspirational stories. For
those who are interested in getting involved with the autism community, Autism
Society gives one the opportunity to become a member, to donate, attend
conferences and events.
While navigating the website, I learned that the Autism society is the home of
the Autism Awareness Puzzle Ribbon and founded the National Autism
Awareness month, which helps focus on autism in April of very year. . In the
section on “about autism”, I learned that the major difference between
Asperger’s Disorder and autism is that there’s no speech delay in Asperger’s.
Children with Asperger’s Disorder have good language skills but use it in a
different way. The website is extremely informative and contains enjoyable and
appealing material. The Autism Society focuses highly on raising awareness, and
being supportive of families to help them make the best choices to suit the
needs of their children and helps to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity
and respect.
