As the parent of 3 young adults with Autism, I have interacted with the Autism Society of America as a trusted resource for many years. I have found their people, resources, information and referral, and efforts around Advocacy to be second to none. Unique to ASA< their network of local Affiliates has a connectivity to the community and passion for helping everyone impacted by Autism.
The largest and most experienced grass-roots organization serving the entire autism community, across the full spectrum and throughout the entire lifespan.
I have been a member of the Autism Society for over 40 years. It is the most reputable grassroots organization. Staff care deeply and are focused on the real issues faced by families and individuals. Their network of affiliates makes them responsive to local needs. Cathy Pratt
So many great resources through the affiliate network and love the advocacy alerts so that I have in a nutshell what I should reach out to my representative and senators about.
The Autism Society of America is a wealth of resources and knowledge for anyone with questions and/or seeking support for autistic services - very quick to respond and very thorough!
I am autistic and my immediate family hails from Chicago, Illinois. We literally epitomize the American melting–pot. We are a multi–racial/ethnic and inter–faith conglomerate. Our family lineage boasts a strong history of advocacy and social activism for human rights at every facet and level imaginable; and, we interpret disability empowerment and inclusion as an inalienable right. Importantly, I understand that I share many of the same idiosyncrasies of my maternal great–uncle, who was born in 1914, predating the history of our modern twentieth century research and diagnosis of Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a complex developmental disability. Our family insisted that he was treated with dignity and respect, and through creating a “village of community support,” he was able to enjoy his life as a highly gifted and accomplished visual artist.
Suffice to say, our family has been affiliated with the Autism Society of America (ASA) and its affiliates for nearly forty–years, since my early childhood. ASA is a great non–profit agency that has a proven track record in its practical applications of increasing public awareness about autism and other developmental disabilities “across the lifespan” throughout our entire society. ASA provides an invaluable wide–range of autism supports and research; information and education; public policy, legislation, and legal resources; competitive, integrated employment; health, home, and community–based services ; and, a commitment to create programs and services that advocate for the rights of all people with autism to live fulfilling, interdependent lives. Our Family is proud to call the Autism Society of America (ASA) our Friend!
I first became involved with the Autism Society by serving as a volunteer in 2012 for my local affiliate, the Autism Society of Oregon. Shortly after volunteering at a number of events, I joined their board of directors. I was impressed with the inclusive community that they had created and the supports and resources that they were able to offer to families. I served on their board for six years and then joined the national board.
I have been involved with the Autism Society for 40 years. The Autism Society is the only national organization that has worked to create and support local efforts through the creation of a network of chapters. As an organization it continues to grow and shift with the ever changing demands of families, individuals and professionals. They are successful partners with other disability organizations in promoting legislation and policy that promotes more inclusive options. Quite simply, it is the most comprehensive and sincere autism organization in the country.
After a close friend figured out that his younger daughter was on the spectrum, I was able to point he and his wife to the ASA. Not only did they connect in person and on the phone directly within a day or 2, they took the time to reassure and calm the parents while also providing access to much needed resources. The family is still extremely grateful for the attention they received at such an uncertain time and it is stories like this that make me proud to be a Board Member and volunteer my time for such a quality organization that is actually making a difference in people's lives.
Hi, I am from India and am running a Non Profit School for Children with Special Needs in New Delhi. Since I have many children studying in my school on the spectrum,I needed to know better ways to handle them and to make their lives better .
I then through Google and Facebook came to know about Autism Society of America and their work in the field of training parents and professionals to work with children on the spectrum. But for me to attend their 2 courses,Start up and Maximum Impact , with my limited funds was very difficult. My school runs on donations and what ever extra money I have I spend on my children.
So ,the American society of America got in touch with me , offered to train me ,to help my 35 children on the spectrum, with the course fees decreased to a great extent.
Their training has been very useful for me as it has cleared many of my doubts on how to handle the children ,solve the problems I face on a daily basis and how to train my staff and parents of the children.
I am very grateful for all the knowledge I have received as it will benefit many children on the spectrum, with their parents and professionals working with special needs children back in India
Thanks
Shilpa Arora
Varied and very, very, valuable and helpful information. Anyone wanting information on issues with Autism/Autism Spectrum Disorders are urged to research this site. Be sure to sign up for their free magazine; it's full of very helpful information for parents, grandparents, teachers, all friends and family members. I highly recommend this site.
The articles and webinars provide us with timely updates, even if we are in other countries. I reside in the Philippines and am unable to attend conferences because of distance and cost of travel. The webinars on a myriad of topics are a great help to keep me updated and knowledgeable about the latest initiatives and discoveries in the ever evolving approach to autism and related disorders
I met Amy Pennington and learned about All 4 Autism from her. Her enthusiasm was contagious and I watched as the program grew into an awesome source for student and parents with students on the Autism Spectrum. While I do not have first hand experience with an Autistic child, I was truly amazed and impressed with their dedication and services provided to the community.
Excellent , well - organised, reliable nonprofit! Doing marvellous job for people touched by Autism. Well done!
When my son was diagnosed in 1999 Autism Society of America was the first place I contacted - they were so helpful!
Our son was diagnosed with autism in 2002, and since that time we have been getting very valuable information from the Autism Society. It has included very practical information for families handling life with an autistic family member. For example, information on potty training problems, autistic children wandering from home, issues on entering puberty, and autistic individuals encountering law enforcement. When we started reading the information when our son was only two, we got a picture of the realities that we would have to learn to manage over coming the years. The information was not very pleasant, but it was authentic informative that we needed, from a reliable, experienced, expert source.
The Autism Society of America is an invaluable resources to families caring for an autistic family member. Other organizations may focus on finding a cure in the future, but the Autism Society focuses the practicalities of managing life with autism right now. It's a unique and invaluable resource for families of autistic individuals.
I first turned to the Autism Society back in 1988 when my son (then 3 years old) was diagnosed with autism. The Autism Society network provided me with information and support that would have been very hard to find on my own in those pre-internet days. Autism Society volunteers and staffers have helped our family every step of the way and have inspired me to volunteer, too.
These days there are many autism-related nonprofits but I still support the Autism Society because of its mission and its positive approach. The Autism Society doesn't claim it can solve everyone's problems but it does strive to help everyone affected by autism in some way. From my perspective, it accomplishes this goal every day.
I have both spoken at and attended the National Conferences. I have enjoyed the diversity of the topics that they select. I read the advocacy material and find it very helpful.
I'm a single 63 year old mother of four sons, one with autism. I take care for my son full time since I retired 2 years ago. My other 3 boys have long fled the nest. My job was very demanding and as an exempt employee, often included weekends. In the back of my mind I always worried about Andy not being taught basic independent skills. Now, with my days only to invest on him I am able to reach out to other parents and professionals, attend meeting and trainings and/or simply pick up the phone and ask for a resource or advice.
All of the above I can count on and do thanks to the great San Diego Autism Society! In the short time that I have been meeting with the leaders and other parents of the San Diego Autism Society, I have learned about all the support and resources available to my son and I. I'm going through a very critical time, due to being the single bread winner for my boys, I missed the precious window of opportunity to teach my son to be as independent as his potential promised. Now I find myself scrambling to do just that and it's been very difficult to start a 41 year old man at learning skills that he probably could have learned at a much younger age. However, I've been leaning heavily on the Autism Society for advice, connections, activities for the both of us. So much so, that this last Spring, Andy attended camp for the first time in his life! And I was able to find a loving and caring community willing to be there for each other. While I always knew of the Autism Society-San Diego, I was unable to reach out to them as my job had me driving at a minimum 200 miles a day, and we live in a very rural area of San Diego. Making meeting times, was mission impossible for me. My hope is to be able to stay healthy and help my son in learning basic living independent skills with the short time I have ahead of me. I'm deeply grateful to the SDAS for being there for us. Sylvia and Andy
The Autism Society of America is the national leader in advocacy and dissemination of information about autism and related disorders.
For 25+ years I have been a paid professional education advocate. Parents contact me and I help them get the services their child needs from their school district. Children with autism are entitled by law to receive certain services, accommodations, and even be placed in another school if that is what they NEED. Districts have been slow to respond to the needs of children with autism. I link parents to info from Autism Society of America, attend their conferences, and work for children with autism to make their lives and their families lives better. I am active in W. PA. My name is Trea Graham. I am listed in many places.
When I first debated leaving NY for PA in 1999, and I needed information about resources for my 3 year old newly DXed son, the Greater Philadelphia ASA was the first I went. It happened by accident, actually; back then Google wasn't what it is now. But the people of the ASA email loop stepped up to help guide me through the process. Their kindess and wisdom has led me to a community I never knew existed, mainly with the unflagging support of Patti Erickson (GPASA president and fearless leader). From Sensory Friendly Movies to the Day Out at the Zoo, there's always something amazing going on for our kids in the Philly area, and usually I hear about it from the GPASA first. Thank you!!
As the parent of a child with autism, the ASA has been a constant source of useful information at each stage of his development. As a result, he took Honors classes in high school, is now beginning his sophomore year in college, and is an Eagle Scout. I strongly endorse the Autism Society of America, and its work on behalf of persons with autism, and their families.
Without your support, Autism Society of Texas would not exist. And without AST, there would not be family friendly activities, social groups for our young people, First Responder's Training, Autism Friendly Business Program, swim programs, or a strong voice at the legislative level in advocating for our families. Thank you Autism Society of America for sticking it out over 50 years with us and growing your programs, which impacts our programs on the ground as the needs continue to multiply exponentially!