Autism Support Network Supporting Global Audience

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Autism Support Network (ASN) today announced its second anniversary of providing a full suite of free services available at www.AutismSupportNetwork.com. One of the leading autism support communities available online, ASN connects families and individuals touched by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with each other, provides support and insight, and acts as a resource guide for autism treatments and therapies, news and information, services, grants, and strategies.

"Since our launch two years ago, we've seen tremendous growth tied to the explosion of need for those whose lives are affected by autism," said Brian Field, co-founder of Autism Support Network. "Our members come from virtually every country in the world, clearly indicating the global impact of autism today. With our professional and peer-based resources - combined with our multilingual capacity - we continue to serve as a source of information and comfort for those whose lives are touched by autism."

Autism Support Network has a roster of partners both in the United States and internationally, including: Autism Hangout; Aid for Autistic Children, Inc.; Parenting Special Needs Magazine; Spectrum Magazine; Beijing Stars and Rain; Autism South Africa; Hagar International; and the Israeli Society for Autistic Children.

Today, 1 in 110 children is diagnosed with autism, with a new case diagnosed every 20 minutes. Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the United States. More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than AIDS, diabetes and cancer combined. Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual, repetitive, or limited activities and interests. Other ASDs include Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS). Males are four times more likely to have autism than females.