Definition:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. There is often nothing about how people with ASD look that sets them apart from other people, but people with ASD may communicate, interact, behave, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. The learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of people with ASD can range from gifted to severely challenged. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives; others need less.
The best definition of Autism I’ve ever heard came from my son with ASD, who refers to himself as an autistic person. He said, “Imagine your brain is split into two pieces, one side is shooting ahead with knowledge, the other side is growing more slowly and needs a lot of help.”
Autism Websites
- The Autism Society Website: autismsource.org
- The Autism society of Southern Arizona: as-az.org
- Autism NOW The National Autism Resource Center: autismnow.org
- Autistic Self Advocacy Network: autisticadvocacy.org
- Autism/Asperger’s Network: aane.org
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: cdc.gov
- National Autism Center: nationalautismcenter.org
- National Institutes of Health: Autism Spectrum Disorders
- National institutes of mental health: nimh.nih.org
- National institute of neurological disorders and stroke: ninds.nih.gov
- Autism Research Foundation: nofone.org
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: HHS Autism Information
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Autism Information Center ACT Early Curriculum
- The Gray Center – website by Carol Gray, the creator of the Social Story: thegraycenter.org
- Social Thinking by Michelle Garcia Winner-popular methodology used by families and schools: socialthinking.org
- Ellen Notbohm, author of several books on autism and the family: ellennotbohm.com