Talk about Autism

TreeHouse, the national charity for autism education, launched an information and social networking website called talkaboutautism.org.uk in April 2009.

TreeHouse, the national charity for autism education, launched an information and social networking website called talkaboutautism.org.uk in April 2009. The aim of the community is to provide a safe and supportive space where parents, carers, families and people on the spectrum can discuss issues surrounding autism. As well as delivering the technology, we're also helping TreeHouse manage and nurture the rapidly-growing community.

Sponsored by TalkTalk, the website provides expert information and advice about autism and how to navigate the education system, covering key times such as diagnosis, admission to an appropriate school, the statementing process, tribunal and exclusion as well as a moderated online community for all parents and carers of children with autism to share experiences, ideas and support. 

Recognition

Whilst in relative infancy, the community is gathering momentum rapidly and gaining plaudits from respected experts. Professor Tanya Byron, author of the Byron Review for the Department for Children, Schools and Families had this to say:

"Over the past few years I’ve seen at first hand just how important online communication is for families and especially for child development. As anyone reading this blog will know, it’s an incredible tool for spreading ideas, sharing information, and creating communities beyond the limitations of traditional geography.

It’s sometimes hard for us to remember that just 10 years ago our ability to communicate with people around the country or around the world was so limited. Back then, social networking sites weren’t invented – but in the past few years they have revolutionised how we communicate and have transformed the lives of previously isolated people.

This online network – often made up of people from hundreds of miles away who you will never meet face-to-face – has emerged at the same time as the traditional family network has become more fractured.

For parents of children with disabilities such as autism, the network of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins has often traditionally been relied upon to share childminding duties or just provide much-needed emotional support. Now, it’s a lot less common for such a network to be readily available – and this has undoubtedly made the job of parenting much more challenging.

That is why a site like www.talkaboutautism.org.uk is so important. Not only does it provide a reliable source of information on autism, it allows parents or carers affected by autism to talk to each other online, swap experiences, share ideas and give encouragement and support. "

The community manager

The job of the community manager is not an easy one. He or she has to juggle competing internal cultures of IT, senior management, and the community itself in order to deliver results. We've been helping TreeHouse to develop the community, welcome new users, moderate when issues arise and stimulate valuable discussions. Talk about Autism community manager, Elena Goodrum, has been working with TreeHouse for several months.

"I’m really honoured to be part of the Talk about Autism community – it’s inspiring to see people making meaningful connections all over the world. Our members are happy together, sad together, angry together… The conversations range from helping families through a new diagnosis and “what’s next”, to tips and advice, to people who have multiple children on the autism spectrum and have only just discovered how the internet can help connect them to others. We have a special area set up just for people on the spectrum, and we have professionals and specialists who share their voice.  I get the feeling that it’s a relief for people to have a safe space to share their experiences and the useful information they have found on their individual journey."

Publicity

It's not often that we get to work on projects that are advertised to the general public on a large scale, so it has been fantastic to see billboards promoting Talk about Autism appearing around London and the rest of the UK.