Photo: My friend Jerry Y., an avid photographer, took this photo of the back of a bus in Dublin, Ireland. It is the only bit of autism awareness we spotted on our trip, although I don't suppose one encounters much autism awareness at castles, cathedrals and gift shops!
As much as I support the cause, I needed to get away from autism and all the work that goes with being an advocate for a little while. That is one of a few reasons why I went to Ireland a few weeks ago. However, actually getting away didn't stop me (a proud mother of one son on the spectrum and one son who is not) from thinking about autism, talking about it, or looking for signs of autism awareness.
I didn't spot the bumper sticker above, but one of my travelling companions whom I spoke to about autism (and my son) did. It was the only sign of autism awareness spotted on the trip, though the site provides proof in the form of links that there is more than just this one website in regards to autism awareness. Thankfully, my friend and travelling companion snapped a shot of it and shared the photo with me or I probably would not have thought to blog about this site.
The website, autismawareness.net, featured in the photo is indeed of Irish origins. The owner lives in Dublin. The site has links to Irish sites as well as the following quote:
"In Ireland over 2,000 people have been diagnosed with Autism and each year this figure continues to grow. Until recently, very little help or support was available for families affected by Autism, and many were left to cope with it by themselves. Help is now at hand."
My thoughts: The home page is a little weak in regards to content, but the page explaining the basics of autism is excellent (informative, but easy to read), which is why I linked to that one instead. The other pages are great too. I especially appreciated the lack of inoffensive language and noncontroversial icons. (There are no ribbons or puzzle pieces to be seen.) I liked the pictures appearing on the site: an open window with the sun peaking in and a train chugging along at the top of the page. Further I found the slogan to be thoughtful. It reads as follows:
"Don't leave them behind."
Despite being rather impressed with the website, I found the homepage titled "who we are" to be a bit vague. I would have liked to have known if the owner was part of an association or if he is a parent. The only clue to be found on the home page is that the site represents a partnership with the H.O.P.E. Project in Cork, Ireland. Other than that one clue there are plenty of ads although there is a helpful directory to the other pages which are labelled "therapy available,""what about support," "useful links," "all things medical," and "contact us" (all that is on that page is an email address).
All in all it seems to be a good website with helpful content that I'd recommend to other parents, friends or family members of a person with autism. I'm glad that I was able to share it with readers.