As a parent of a child who was diagnosed with autism at the age of two, I know well the importance of early identification of and intervention for children with developmental disorders. At First Signs, we educate parents, healthcare providers, clinicians, and early childhood educators on how to recognize the first signs of a developmental delay or disorder, such as autism. This lens aims to be a helpful starting point for anyone who is concerned about a child's social, emotional, and communicative development. Sarah and I certainly wouldn't be where we are today without the help of these top-notch organizations and resources.
Straight to the Source
Periodical insights
These are the best articles on autism that I have contributed to
- 6 Facts You Need to Know About Autism
- There are lots of frightening rumors about what causes this mysterious brain disorder in children. We asked leading experts across the country for the very latest news.
- Autism Now Diagnosed Early
- The importance of early identification and intervention
- Autism: The Importance of Early Detection
- If a child is diagnosed with autism, there's a lot parents and therapists can do -- if it's caught early.
- Healthy baby: it's all about caring for your child
- Keeping your child on a healthy developmental path
- Issues and Trends in Treatment of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
- An update in diagnosing and treating children with autism
Leading Autism Organizations
You're not alone
These groups can provide the support services -- and sense of community -- you need
- First Signs
- First Signs is dedicated to early identification and intervention of children with autism and other developmental disorders. Their organization provides healthcare professionals with tools and training and parents with education and support to help young children stay on a healthy developmental path. The First Signs Web site provides a wealth of vital resources, covering a range of issues: from healthy development, to concerns about a child; from the screening and referral process, to treatments for autism spectrum disorders.
- Autism Speaks
- Autism Speaks is dedicated to raising public awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families, and society, and to giving hope to all who deal with the hardships of this disorder. They also seek to raise funds to facilitate effective treatment and research on autism. They are dedicated to uncovering the biology of autism and developing effective biomedical treatments through research funding. Their aim is to bring the entire autism community together as one strong voice to urge the government and private sector to listen to concerns and take action to end this epidemic.
- Cure Autism Now
- Cure Autism Now (CAN) is an organization of parents, clinicians, and leading scientists committed to accelerating the pace of biomedical research in autism through raising money for research projects, education, and outreach. The organization's primary focus is to fund essential research through a variety of programs designed to encourage innovative approaches toward identifying the causes, prevention, treatment and a cure for autism and related disorders.
- National Alliance for Autism Research
- The National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) is dedicated to funding global biomedical research to accelerate the discovery of the causes, prevention, effective treatments, and cure for autism spectrum disorders and to educate the public on the critical role research plays in achieving these goals.
- Autism Society of America
- Autism Society of America (ASA) provides education, advocacy, services, research, and support to the autism community. ASA is a chapter and member-based organization and accomplishes its mission through close collaboration with a network of chapters, members, supporters, and organizations.
- Organization for Autism Research
- Organization for Autism Research (OAR) is dedicated to applying research and its practical outcomes that individuals with autism and their parents, families, teachers and caregivers confront daily. OAR seeks broad-based support for its autism research programs through alliances with other autism research organizations and its own network of volunteers.
Great Stuff on Amazon
Leading Treatments
Medical methods that matter
Looking for ways to treat a child who is diagnosed with autism? These organizations support some of the most widely used treatments.
- Floortime Foundation
- The Floortime Foundation focuses on helping children master the building blocks of relating, communicating, and thinking, rather than on symptoms alone. Their mission is to redefine the potential of children with developmental and communication challenges through broad dissemination of the DIR/Floortime model. They offer information, guidance, and resources to parents and professionals.
- Autism Treatment Center of America
- The Autism Treatment Center of America provides innovative training programs for parents and professionals caring for children challenged by autism, autism spectrum disorders, pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), and other developmental difficulties. The Son-Rise Program? teaches a specific and comprehensive system of treatment and education designed to help families and caregivers enable their children to dramatically improve in all areas of learning, development, communication and skill acquisition. It offers highly effective educational techniques, strategies and principles for designing, implementing and maintaining a stimulating, high-energy, one-on-one, home-based, child-centered program.
- Division TEACCH
- Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) provides training that focuses on teaching children independent work and life skills, along with communication and social skills, and relies heavily on structured settings, predictable routines and picture schedules - elements designed to build on the strengths and preferences of many children with autism spectrum disorders.
- Verbal Behavior Network
- Verbal Behavior Network provides workshops, tools, and training for professionals and parents. Verbal Behavior is a form of ABA, where they focus on teaching language by breaking it into small, functional parts that can be taught in a systematic way. A program starts by assessing the child,s existing communication skills in minute detail. Then a curriculum is devised to fill in the child's communication gaps. A typical program with a child with classic autism might start by rewarding a child for responding to his name or imitating a sound and then teach the child how to make requests, label objects, ask questions, follow increasingly complex directions and, eventually, engage in conversation.
- Relationship Development Intervention
- Parents also are the primary therapists in this approach, which starts by using a series of highly structured games and exercises to teach the child how to tune into the actions and emotions of other people. The parent and child then move on to exercises that focus on back-and-forth communication, shared experiences and play and, gradually, to less structured interactions that build social awareness and competence. Parents attend training sessions and also are supervised by therapists trained in the method.
- Defeat Autism Now!
- The Autism Research Institute (ARI) is a non-profit organization devoted to conducting research, and to disseminating the results of research, on the causes of autism and on methods of preventing, diagnosing and treating autism and other severe behavioral disorders of childhood. They provide information based on research to parents and professionals throughout the world. Their Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!) conference is dedicated to educating parents and clinicians regarding biomedically-based research, appropriate testing and safe and effective interventions for autism.
Productive Publications
Journals du Jour
These are the best periodicals about autism
- The Schafer Autism Report
- The most comprehensive and widely read online autism publication. They monitor all the major news sources, websites, and the latest research for important and practical news and developments with a balanced, no-spin presentation. The Schafer Autism Report is sent out daily via email.
- The Autism Perspective
- TAP is a quarterly full-color magazine devoted to the subject of autism spectrum disorders, for parents, professionals and persons with autism. TAP covers a variety of issues from the "here and now" of everyday life including many of today's triumphs, struggles, and hope. The magazine is about options and different perspectives without taking sides. TAP is a place where voices can be heard, where stories can be shared.
by nwiseman
I'm the founder and president of First Signs, Inc., a national
nonprofit organization dedicated to educating parents and pediatric
professionals about...
more »
- 0 featured lenses
- Winner of 2 trophies!
- Top lens »
Feeling creative?
Create a Lens!
Explore related pages
- Free printable worksheets Free printable worksheets
- Selective Mutism Selective Mutism
- Crafts for Kids: Rainbow Crafts Crafts for Kids: Rainbow Crafts
- Children Afflicted With Autism Children Afflicted With Autism
- Carl Rogers, the Unconditional Positive Regard Guy Carl Rogers, the Unconditional Positive Regard Guy
- Dealing with over active children Dealing with over active children
