Review of the US Autism Websites - Research Paper Example

Review of Autism Websites Before going to discuss some websites regarding autism in children, let us get a better understanding of what autism actually is.” Autism is a behaviorally defined disorder, characterized by qualitative impairments in social communication, social interaction, and social imagination” (Baird, Cass, & Slonims, 2003). Website No: 1 First website, which I reviewed, was autismspeaks.org. This website is one of the most informative autism websites. It provides us with a detailed explanation of autism and the factors, which cause autism in children.

Along with such descriptions, the website also makes us know how common the problem of autism is. I believe that this website is very informative as it creates awareness about different issues related to autism. Tsai (1999) states, “Autism is a neurobiological disorder”. The website made me know that autism is a set of complex developmental brain disorders. It made me know the fact that one out of every hundred children has the medical problem of autism. Summing it up, this website is very helpful for the people who want to gather knowledge about autism.

Website No: 2 Second website, which I selected for review, was autism-society.org. “The Autism Society of America is the nation’s premiere autism resource” (Rudy, 2007). This organization is a chapter and member-based organization, which provides us with an opportunity to join it and help people deal with the problem of Autism. The website provides us with an unbiased introduction and explanation of autism. It also includes useful information regarding diagnosis, causes, and treatment of autism.

Autism is a genetic problem. “Autism is influenced by complex, yet strong genetic factors” (Cook, 1998). Some knowledge, which I gained from this website, is that it appears in the first 3 years of a child’s life. It also made me aware of some signs of autism, which included, delay in speaking, lack of peer relationships, and repetitive use of language. It also made me know that almost 1.5 Americans have the problem of autism and only 50 to 55 percent autistic children become able to finish high school level studies.

Website No: 3 Third website, which I reviewed, was firstsigns.org. This website is dedicated to creating awareness and educating parents about autistic disorders. It not only creates awareness about diagnosis and treatment of autism but also makes parents aware about the use of different types of screening tools. Autism appears in the first three years of a child’s life. “The average age of diagnosis is still around 6 years” (Howlin & Moorf, 1997). I found this website very useful because it provided me with a good amount of knowledge regarding screening tools.

I became aware of how to use screening tools. It also made me know that the best screening tools are those, which are accurate, flexible, and affordable. Website No: 4 Fourth website, which I reviewed, was autismresearchnetwork.org. “The National Institutes of Health Autism Resource Network is a terrific resource for medical information and links to the latest research and findings” (Rudy, 2007). This website is based on the current research related to the problem of autism. As all other websites, this website also provided me with a good amount of knowledge regarding causes, symptoms, and treatment of autism.

However, the difference was that the information included in this website was somewhat new and different from the other websites. For example, it made me know that modern medical practice puts autism into three main categories, which include classic autism, Asperger Syndrome, and Atypical autism. Summing it up, I would say that all four websites, which I reviewed, proved to be very informative and resourceful and provided me with a good amount of knowledge related to autism and autistic disorders.

References Baird, G., Cass, H., & Slonims, V. (2003). Diagnosis of Autism. BMJ, 10(1136), 413-488. Cook, E. (1998). Genetics of Autism. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 4(2), 113-120. Howlin, P., & Moorf, A. (1997). Diagnosis in Autism. SAGE Journals Online, 1(2), 135-162. Tsai, L. (1999). Psychopharmacology in Autism. Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, 61, 651-665. Rudy, L. (2007). Top 10 Autism Websites. Retrieved from http://autism.about.com/od/whatisautism/tp/topten.htm