Australian Community Site for Parents Raising Kids with Autism Spectrum

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The Australian Federal Government and the Raising Children Network will today launch the national website for parents of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) - www.raisingchildren.net.au/autism

Bill Shorten MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services, will launch the website, part of the Federal Government's Helping Children with Autism package, at an event at Parliament House Canberra today.

Intended to assist and support Australian families and professionals by providing quality assured parenting information and resources, and improving connections between families, professionals, and services, the site raisingchildren.net.au/autism will deliver a raft of Australian specific information that parents can access, as their information needs require.

1 in 160 Australian children have an autism spectrum disorder. The parents raising those children often report a lack of online information specific to the Australian local experience.

"We know from research that parents of a child with a disability actively use the internet to search for more information on their child's condition but that until now there was a dearth of evidence-based information and very limited details of the resources and support available within Australia," said the Raising Children Network's spokesperson, Warren Cann of the Parenting Research Center.

The website at www.raisingchildren.net.au/autism launches with three main features as part of the first phase:

1. Learning about Autism Spectrum Disorder - information to better understand the condition;

2. Parent Guide to Therapies - detailed descriptions of common therapies and interventions including reference to the evidence, safety and financial considerations; and

3. Interactive ASD Service Pathfinder to help parents navigate the relevant service and support systems in each State and Territory.

Online discussion forums enable parents and professionals to share experiences and tips about raising children with ASD.

The ASD web-content being launched on the Raising Children Network website today is the first wave of more ASD information and resources that will be added to the website site over the coming months.

For more information visit the website www.raisingchildren.net.au/autism

Today also marks the launch of MY NEIGHBORHOOD. My Neighborhood has been three years in development and features detailed aerial maps and up to date local service information for the whole country. Now parents all over Australia can get a birds eye view of their family-friendly neighborhood and participate by sharing information with fellow parents about playgrounds and other helpful destinations, including a dedicated Autism set under Specialty Health - check out myhood.net.au.