The Mom Crowd

There has been a lot of talk in the news recently about a new online video glossary produced by Autism Speaks and First Signs. The video glossary contains over a hundred videos to help concerned parents learn more about the early warning signs of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Autism is not diagnosed until a child is 3 or 4 years of age. If ASD can be detected sooner than 3 or 4 years of age, then treatment can begin sooner and the child will do better on the spectrum of autism.

According to the Autism Speaks website:

“The goal of the project is to help parents of children suspected of or recently diagnosed with autism better understand some of the words and terms they might hear used in association with ASD. Video clips are used to show examples of such terms as social reciprocity, joint attention, sensory defensiveness, hand flapping, and echolalia. In many cases, side-by-side video clips show behaviors that are typical in contrast with those that are red flags for ASD. “

The video glossary is a great tool for parents who are concerned about autism or if their child has recently been diagnosed. The videos explain a lot of the terms commonly used. I am afraid I would watch it and become paranoid, because a lot of the differences are very subtle. However, if I know some of the major red flags, then I would be in a better position to help an early detection.

My big complaint about the website is that the video glossary does not support Firefox and Safari web browsers. So Mac users like myself, may not actually get to view the videos. I think I can upgrade my Quicktime player, but it seemed like a hassle. Users viewing the videos in Internet Explorer should not have any problems.

Check out the online video glossary.

The new website in the news:

Video from The Early Show on CBS.com
ABC News Nightline Article
Video interview with creator Amy Wetherby on CBS.com
Article from The Associated Press