Topic 5: Resources For People With ASD and Their Families You Should Know About

Community Assistance and Support

• Autism ListServ Sign-Up
• School psychologist, special ed staff
• Parents/families with children with ASD
• Community programs geared toward sensory friendly events/activities or calendar with sensory friendly events in the community
• Support groups for families with ASD
• Online Resources: Autism Articulated website with blog
• The Little Black Duck
• Sesame Street and Autism - "See amazing in all children"
• KultureCity: Rethinking accessibility to create acceptance and inclusion for all individuals with unique abilities (non-profit)
• Accepting Asperger's syndrome: Crash course for Asperger's
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division website contains: Laws/Regulations, Design Standards, Technical Assistance Materials and Enforcement information.
• Dr. Stephen Shore
• The Art of Autism
• Paula Kluth for teachers and parents
• Barbara Doyle
• Carol Gray – the inventor of social stories
• Dayna @ Lemon Lime Adventures for sensory topics/ crafts, etc.
• Asperger / Autism Network (AANE): works with individuals, families and professionals to help people with Asperger Syndrome and similar autism spectrum profiles build meaningful, connected lives.
• Autism Now: National autism resource and information center.
• GRASP – Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership: GRASP is committed to empowering the lives of adolescents and adults living with an Autism Spectrum Disorder by providing community outreach needs and other support services.
• TASH: National organization that advocates for human rights and inclusion for people with significant disabilities and support needs – those most vulnerable to segregation, abuse, neglect and institutionalization. TASH works to advance inclusive communities through advocacy, research, professional development, policy, and information and resources for parents, families and self-advocates.

Resources for Parents of Children with ASD

• Could It Be Autism? - Book trailer
• 100 Day Kit - A tool kit to help families in the early days of diagnosis
• Autism Speaks - Websites for Families
  • Autism Speaks also has a Transition Toolkit for parents
• Autism Parenting Magazine
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Developmental milestones
• American Academy of Pediatrics - Healthy Children early signs of autism
• National Library of Medicine - Autism Link
• Center for Parent Information and Resources: provides a central hub for parent information centers throughout the U.S., as well as numerous resources on topics related to families of children with disabilities (ASCI, 2018).
• American Academy of Pediatrics: Resources on parenting and health issues as well as illness and disability concerns  (ASCI, 2018).
• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: promotes the healthy development of children, adolescents, and families through advocacy, education, and research, and meets the professional needs of child and adolescent psychiatrists throughout their careers (ASCI, 2018).
• Family Voices: Family Voices is a national grassroots network, providing families of children with special needs the resources and support they need to make informed decisions, advocate for improved public and private policies, build partnerships among families and professionals, and serve as a trusted resource on health care (ASCI, 2018).
• Information Connections For Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities and Chronic Diseases through the Marionjoy Medical Library. Free information centralized in one website with access to up-to-date, reliable, high-quality health information on developmental disabilities with a focus on ADHD, autism, cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, traumatic brain injury and more (ASCI, 2018).
• One Place for Special Needs: One Place for Special Needs is a national disability resource for families who have children with disabilities. It is a resource where families can make connections with other special needs families and get practical information to help their child at home, school and the community (ASCI, 2018).
• Sibling and Leadership Network: Provides siblings of individuals with disabilities the information, support, and tools to advocate with their brothers and sisters and to promote the issues important to them and their entire families (ASCI, 2018).
• Wrightslaw: Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities (ASCI, 2018).

Activity #11: You are working at the reference desk and a father of a student with ASD approaches you and tells you that his daughter is graduating from high school this year, has ASD (is cognitively high), and is interested in pursuing a career in journalism but doesn't know which paths are best suited to her needs. Describe the steps you would take to direct this patron to appropriate and available resources for this student as she pursues post-secondary education. Discuss the resources available to this patron. Remember to check out Project ENABLE's Resource Database to explore possible options.