This month is National Autism Awareness Month, and to Houston-based Legal Assistant Wilhelmina ‘Willy’ Wilson Curry, the spectrum disorder is personal. Willy’s six-year-
old daughter was diagnosed with autism when she was two years old, and she wants others with autistic children to know they are not alone and that there are plenty of resources available to them.
When her child was born, Willy knew nothing about autism and now wants other parents to know about a couple of online sources that she has found very helpful. She recommends https://autisticadvocacy.org/ because it is a fully autistic-run nonprofit that aligns advocacy and research with the priorities of the autistic community.
Another favorite is http://www.autistikids.com/, which includes a comprehensive directory of all autism-related topics.
Willy adds that social media is another great forum for learning. On Facebook, she likes the ‘Finding Cooper’s Voice’ page written by a mother with a non-verbal, autistic child and ‘Autism Adventures with Alyssa’ by a mother of a non-verbal, autistic adult.
Ultimately, spreading awareness about autism and the resources available is important because it promotes inclusion, a theme especially important to Willy and the parents of the estimated 1 in 44 children in the U.S. diagnosed.