Autism and the Internet

Today's post is not directly about autism policy or politics, but the indirect relationship is significant. Autism has become a major national issue in the last decade or so, and not coincidentally, this period has also witnessed an enormous growth in applications of the Internet such as social networking. The Internet has enabled parents and ASD people to find information about autism (Jenny McCarthy has famously referred to "the University of Google") and -- just as important -- to find one another. Knowledge and community are two prerequisites for political action.

From the Autism Society's YouTube channel:

At the Autism Society's 41st National Conference on Autism Spectrum Disorders in Dallas on July 10, 2010, Michelle Garcia-Winner moderates a panel of Sandy Yim (AspieTeacher.com), Jason Ross (DriveMomCrazy.com) and Alex Plank (WrongPlanet.net), three individuals on the autism spectrum who have used blogs and/or online communities to communicate and connect with others online in different ways. In this segment, each panelist gives a few closing remarks.

The Internet connects rank and file people to the research community. A new video from the Interactive Autism Network: