Research Autism Website Bulletin: April 2008

Welcome

Welcome to the April 2008 issue of the Research Autism website bulletin. This bulletin is designed to update you on some of the things happening on the Research Autism website at www.researchautism.net

The Research Autism website aims to be one of the biggest, most up-to-date, and most scientifically reliable websites in the world for information about interventions used to help people with autism spectrum disorders.

Breaking News: We are delighted to announce that the website has just been awarded four stars by MentalHelp.Net, an influential directory of websites in the mental health sector. More about our Awards

Our work

This section contains information about us, who we are and what we do.

Key points about Research Autism and what sets us apart from other organisation
QUEST study – project endorsed by Research Autism which aims to identify early risk markers in the behaviour patterns of children with autism
Adult life for people with autism and Asperger syndrome – Achievements, challenges and needs – study designed to explore outcome in adult life in higher ability people with autism/Asperger Syndrome
Research Report No. 3 – study of bullying of children with autism in secondary schools (PDF document).
Research Report No. 2 – a study of early intensive behavioural intervention compared to specialist nursery provision for children with autistic spectrum disorders (PDF document).
Newsletter No. 4 – contains the latest news about Research Autism (PDF document).

More About Us

Autism

This section contains information about autism and the problems faced by people on the autism spectrum.

Causes of autism – statement about the possible causes
Frequently-asked questions about autism – such as what causes autism and is it on the increase?
Alyson Bradley – a personal account of living with Asperger syndrome
Diet and Nutrition – an overview of some of the dietary problems faced by people with autism
Self Injurious Behaviour – an overview of self injury in people with autism

Interventions

The website now contains information about 70 interventions which are supposed to help people with autism spectrum disorders, including

Dore programme – series of physical exercises which are designed to stimulate the brain so that it speeds up the processing of information.
Online communities – communities composed of individuals who communicate with one another on a regular basis using online tools, such as forums, bulletin boards, listservs and some blogs.
Social Groups – groups which provide an opportunity for individuals with autism to meet each other and to improve their social skills in a safe, supportive environment.
Specific carbohydrate diet – very strict and restrictive diet which excludes complex carbohydrates

More about Interventions

Latest Research Studies

Links to some of the latest research studies on autism published in peer-reviewed journals. (Please note: these studies are published on other websites.)

Effects of cognitive-behavioural therapy on anxiety for children with high-functioning autistic spectrum disorders. Read Full item (PDF document).
The effects of Tomatis sound therapy on language in children with autism. Read Abstract
Social skills interventions for children with Asperger’s syndrome or high-functioning autism: A review and recommendations. Read Abstract
The impact of the Picture Exchange Communication System on requesting and speech development in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders and similar characteristics. Read Abstract
Complementary and alternative medical therapies for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism. Read Abstract

More Research Studies

Latest News Items

News items about autism from around the world. (Please note: these items are published on other websites.)

Developing tests to diagnose autism early can be crucial to help children reach their full potential. Read Item
Measles cases jump to record high. Read Item
Virtual reality teaches children with autism to cross roads safely. Read Item
Dolphin ‘therapy’ a dangerous fad, Emory researchers warn. Read Item
Autism costs UK £28bn a year. Read Item

More News items

Events

Information about key events happening in the next few months, including

2008 International Meeting for Autism Research on 15-17 May – conference of the largest international congregation of autism investigators
Edinburgh Marathon on 25 May – the flagship fundraising event for Research Autism, which last year raised almost £60,000
Collaborative forum on 21 October – discussion of medical conditions which commonly occur in people with autism spectrum disorders
Research into Practice Friday 19 – Saturday 20 September- the National Autistic Society 2008 Conference

More about Our events

Design

Important New Features. We have added a ‘Listen’ button so that visitors with visual impairments or other disabilities can listen to the site. We have also added a much greater range of text and background colours in order to make the pages easier to read.

More about Access Options

We have added a blue zero symbol to indicate those interventions – such as the Dore Programme , the Son-Rise programme or Yeast-Free Diets – for which there is currently no research evidence published in peer-reviewed journals.

More about Rankings

We have also added a thumbnail of our logo to pages throughout the site to indicate where Research Autism is conducting research on a relevant issue.

More about Our Research

If you know of any other design features which would make the site easier to use please contact us.

Standards

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(Valid XHTML 1.0)! The Research Autism website now complies with the international standards for XHTML 1.0 Transitional. This is a one of the mark-up languages used to make websites work. By complying with this standard, we are ensuring that our site works more efficiently and effectively and that it is more likely to be accessible to more visitors.

During the coming months, we hope to comply with level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. These are international guidelines designed to ensure that websites are accessible to everybody, including people with disabilities. We are already pretty close to meeting this standard but we have a little bit of tweaking to do before we are fully compliant.

More about Standards

Awards

Mental Help Net We are delighted to announce that the website has just been awarded four stars by MentalHelp.Net, an influential directory of websites in the mental health sector. We are the only autism site to receive four stars, the highest number possible.

More about Awards

If you know of any other awards that we should apply for, or other websites which might like to list us, please contact us.

Feedback

Thank you to everyone who completed our online questionnaire or who contacted us to provide feedback about the website last year. The website was perceived by the majority of you as being very good, easy to use and to understand. The majority also felt that the site was objective and balanced and that it contained useful and relevant information. A number of you told us about problems with the site or ways in which it could be improved. The information you provided was very helpful and has helped us to make some significant improvements to the site.

More about the Feedback Report

If you have not already told us what you think about the site, we would love to “hear from you. We would like to know what you like, what you don’t like and what you would change.

How to Contact us.

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Last Updated : 31/10/2008 Back to Top

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