Autism+Society--Web+Site+Review

The Autism Society website is a valuable resource for parents and teachers of autistic children. The purpose of the site is to give information about autism which was clearly stated in the home page. It is well organized and provides resources and ratings for physicians, psychologists, speech and occupational therapists, behavioral therapy, schools, camps, and government agencies. Parents, teachers, or caregivers can access information about autism through reading the journals listed, get tips on how to deal with family issues, and providing the best possible education for their child. Service coordinator/case managers, help with Medicaid waiver programs, special needs trust and related services were also given. There are links to other sites such as finding a job, treatment for autism, and other services but I could not find where the links were evaluated.

It is clear that there is authority in the website. The creators of the Autism Society, Dr. Bernard Rimland and Dr. Ruth Sullivan along with parents and physicians provide reliable and trusted information on its site. They have been instrumental in getting local, state, and federal legislation passed to improve the lives of people with autism. There is a panel of professionals as well as a board of directors listed with their credentials, their contribution and work with the organization. Authors of the site have included e-mail, mailing address, and phone number to make the information useful to everyone. The accuracy of the information on the website is verified by the panel of professional advisors and the board of directors which include many top professional experts in autism. The facts and statistics are given for the origin of information such as the Department of Education and Centers for Disease Control. Of the many autism sites I have visited, the Autism Society site is the most informative and accurate. It gives a broader range of information about autism than some of the other sites I have visited. The website is well written with no noted grammatical errors. I did not find a bibliography but there were references. The site provided its information without bias and did not try to sway the reader to a particular point of view. There were sections where medications and alternative treatments such a using vitamins was discussed objectively. On the home page there are some distractions to the reader such as the free downloads, online art exhibit, sensory friendly films, etc. that are on each side of the page. There was some advertising for conference and the e-store but it was not overtly trying to persuade a person to buy or attend and there was no conflict of interest advertising found. The site is comprehensive and gives an overview of what autism is, living with autism, the research and programs that are being conducted, the autism community which includes people with autism, parents, caregiver, physicians and other professionals who contribute to the site. Each of the areas is on their own page of the site with very in depth information. There are some links to other sites but this is for additional specific information for the reader. As far as the currency of the website, I could not find when it was first written or placed on the web. However, at the bottom of each page there was a revision date. The links three links that I accessed (Jobs for Autism, UCLA- Cart, and MAAP services for autism) were all up to date and gave reliable information. The information in the site is mostly timeless, although there are pages of the site that do need to stay up to date and keep the reader aware of the new research and discoveries being made. I found no construction signs. All pages were complete with reliable information. The site was easy to navigate and find information. I did not like the design because I thought the flashy boxes on the sides were distracting to the reader. I understand that they want to make sure the reader sees the information but it might be better to not put quite so many (13) on a page. Also the font was very small and hard to read. Overall, I recommend the Autism Society website to anyone who is teaching or may teach a student with autism. I think it is a very valuable site for parents. I especially liked the page about life with autism and family issues (stress, education, etc.). I also think the resources given are very important to parents of a child who has recently been diagnosed, are in need of financial assistance, or need help finding a physician or therapist who is recommended by others who have knowledge of autism spectrum disorders. Since the website contains accurate information from the referral to diagnosis to educating your child to finding a job or providing for the adult with autism, it is a website that truly encompasses all ages of people living with autism and their needs. [|www.autism-society.org]