Support Autism

If you are a parent and have a child who have been diagnosed with Autism and you feel like you are alone in your battle against Autism now here is your chance to meet fellow parents of an Autistic Child. Autism Support Network connects families and individuals touched by ASD with each other, provides support and insight, and acts as a resource guide for treatments, strategies and therapies.

Using their community of people helping people, they foster an exchange of knowledge and promote further understanding and serve as a platform for individual’s stories of success and challenge.

Through Autism Support Network you can connect, guide and unite with other people who had the same problem just like you. You can also create a profile which you can describe yourself or your company where you belong. Likewise, you can also put your interest and determine which individuals you would like to associate with or whom you would like to meet. After making your profile and interest , the Autism Support Network will give you a list of individuals whom most closely match your interests. At this point, use the People Map to browse your network and request introductions, schedule meetings, and share ideas with others. You can also upload your photograph, share your portfolio, or participate in group discussions.

Here is a copy of the Press Release from the Autism Support Network.



Press Release:
Autism Support Network Launches, Offers Free Online Support Community

Thousands around the world already connecting, sharing guidance and help

October 21, 2008. Autism Support Network today announced the launch of its free online support community available at www.AutismSupportNetwork.com. The online service – rapidly growing with already thousands of members around the world – connects families and individuals touched by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with each other, provides support and insight, and acts as a resource guide for treatments, strategies and therapies.

Key features of the community include matching those members seeking similar support with one another, the ability to create appointments virtually or in actual locations between members, community groups for open sharing of information, user blogs, chat and capabilities for members to host and share personal photos and documents. The Autism Support Network also includes resource listings across the United States, Canada, England and India.

"Parents frequently feel paralyzed and isolated when they discover their child has autism. Those adults who have autism themselves also frequently find it difficult to engage socially with others for support," said Brian Field, co-founder of Autism Support Network. "Whether you’re a parent whose child has autism, a medical practitioner or someone with autism, our global community was created to facilitate an exchange of ideas, help and interactive discussion. Those dealing with ASD needn't have to 're-invent the wheel' – they can find others here that have likely experienced what they’re going through and can help provide personal guidance."

Today 1 in 150 children is diagnosed with autism, with a new case diagnosed every 20 minutes and is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the United States today. More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined. Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities and interests. Other ASDs include Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS). Males are four times more likely to have autism than females.

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Media Inquiries:
Pam McCarthy
info@AutismSupportNetwork.com

Autism Support Network
Box 1525
Fairfield, CT 06825
Tel: (203) 404-4929
Fax: (203) 404-4969
www.AutismSupportNetwork.com