Action For Autism

In the blogosphere

The latest issue of Communication, the members magazine of the National Autistic Society is out and it includes this article by me. To read the rest of the magazine you really need to join the NAS here or here for overseas membership. and to any NAS members who have come here from the magazine article, Welcome!

In the blogosphere

Blogs are online diaries or journals. Of course the content varies enormously. But there are usually a few issues that are being widely discussed in the blogosphere. President  Obama’s economic package includes extra funding for scientific research including $60 million for autism research. This is discussed by Virginia Hughes on her blog.  Hughes is an accomplished science writer who often contributes articles to the Simons Foundation Blog.  ”A social campaigning site in the USA, http://www.change.org/ hosts an autism blog http://autism.change.org/ The writers are veteran autism blogger and parent Kristina Chew and autistic adult Dora Raymaker.

Of course, the big news in America has been the verdict in the vaccine court that there is no connection between MMR and autism. There is very little neutral ground on this issue. Those who believe that vaccines do cause autism will find support for their views on the Age of Autism If, like me you discount any connection between vaccines and autism, you will prefer Left Brain Right Brain.

For a more dispassionate view I often turn to neuroscientist, Steve Novella’s blog. See this example  for his take on a recent study of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for autism. Steve also collaborates with a number of scientists and clinicians on a blog called Science Based Medicine which often discusses autism research. Even when it is not autism specific it is often relevant as with this discussion on conflicts of interests in research. 

But the real attraction of blogs is writing them. Anyone can write one and publish it on the web. You do not need any programming skills, just the ability to type and something to say. Other people can read your blog and leave comments and every time you post a new article it moves to the top of your page. So blogs are always changing to show what is uppermost in people’s minds. Some of my favourites are written by parents or people on the spectrum.

Sharon is a parent in Northern Ireland who writes about life, family, autism and home education at the Family Voyage.

Casdok’s blog is about her non-verbal adult son and their struggles to obtain decent provision in England.

For an autistic view on life one example is NAS board member Larry Arnold’s blog 

And finally there is you. Most of the autism blogs are based in America. But the NAS membership is as well informed and opinionated as any autism constituency here or abroad. We do not always agree but our discussions are always invigorating. I wish that more of you would start blogging and that the NAS could find a way of linking us together like the autism hub.   Perhaps the next issue of Communication could include a guide to writing on the web to help get people started.  And it is not just about blogging. I am just finding my feet on Face Book and now somebody wants to follow me on Twitter!

 

 

May 29th, 2009 Posted by Mike | Communication, National Autistic Society | 6 comments