Net Activities and Autism

Autism is a neurobiological condition that has a serious impact on how its sufferers interact and communicate with others. People with autism usually have difficulty understanding facial expressions, body language and contextually appropriate behavior, which may make it difficult for them to participate in social activities. The Internet provides people with autism both a haven and a place to learn socialization techniques, among other skills, in a non-threatening environment.

Social Networking

• Social networking not only has revolutionized how non-autistic people communicate, it has given people with autism ways to find each other, offer support and learn to relate to others. Most in-person autism support groups feature an online component, and many use platforms like Facebook to communicate.

  Facebook may be one of the most popular social networking sites for young people with autism, and has hundreds of group and fan pages dedicated to autistic issues. The page "Artists and Autism"--dedicated to art by or about people with autism--is popular enough to have upwards of 5,000 fans.

Autism Websites and Forums

• Wrongplanet.net is an immensely popular forum for people with autism, having members and active participants ranging from Aspergian savants, to non-verbal “low functioning” people with Kanner’s or traditional autism, who type as eloquently as any “normal” person. Autism Women’s Network is a website and nonprofit organization dedicated to helping females with autism. It features podcasts with women and girls with autism who have succeeded in their daily lives. The site also has a forum where discussions about autism niches such as GLBT autistics, intersexed autistics and more are not uncommon.

Education

• Many people with autism love acquiring information, memorizing facts and having complex discussions on esoteric topics. Others may have intellectual disabilities that keep them from doing so, but all autistics can learn valuable things online.

  For children and those adults who have intellectual disabilities, there are educational sites dedicated to people with disabilities. Autism-specific sites vary greatly in what is offered. People with autism almost universally love programs that focus on history, factual information, art, music, engineering and/or technology.

  Many people with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, have a talent for extracting information from the Internet quickly and efficiently, but tend to get lost following link after link to the next enticing piece of information.