Contact Information Corey Seeman, Assistant Dean for Resource and Systems Management. MS# 509, University of Toledo, 2801 W. Bancroft, Toledo, OH 43606 419-530-2333; corey.seeman@utoledo.edu

SITE: Autism Society of America 
URL: http://www.autism-society.org
DESCRIPTION: The Autism Society of America (ASA) is one of the leading organizations in the United States for promoting awareness and developing support for the autism community.  The ASA was founded in 1965 by a small group of parents working on a volunteer basis out of their homes and now has over 20,000 members with nearly 200 chapters.  

SITE: Center for the Study of Autism 
URL: http://www.autism.org
DESCRIPTION: The Center for the Study of Autism (CSA) is an advocate for biomedical interventions for children with autism. Located in the Salem/Portland, Oregon area, the CSA works closely with the Autism Research Institute (Dr. Bernard Rimland) in San Diego, California.  The site has many links to informational pages on definitions and different treatments.   

SITE: Network of International Farm Communities for Autism
URL: http://www.autismnetwork.net
DESCRIPTION: The Network of International Farm Communities for Autism (NIFCA) is a tremendous organization that promotes efforts "to provide farmstead communities which meet the residential, vocational and recreational needs of the growing population of adults with autism." The organization was founded in 1974 and has member communities all over the world.  The website offers links to many of these organizations, historical and statistical information, and links to other resources.  

Regional & Local Organizations

Ohio

SITE: Autism Society of Northwest Ohio (Toledo)
URL: http://www.asno.org
DESCRIPTION: The Autism Society of Northwest Ohio is associated with the Autism Society of America.  The website is very useful for Toledo area programs and meetings, news, and links to both resources of general interest and particular interest for people in Northwest Ohio. (For ASNO Focus Newsletter Articles that I have written, click here).

SITE: Autism Society of Ohio 
URL: http://www.autismohio.org
DESCRIPTION: The Autism Society of Ohio is associated with the Autism Society of America and has nine regional chapters (including the Autism Society of Northwest Ohio) across the state.  The website is very useful for Ohio programs and meetings, news, and links to both resources of general interest and particular interest for people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders in Ohio. The website has very good pages for both resources and links at the state-wide and national levels. 

SITE: Ohio Autism Coalition Database 
URL: http://resource.autismohio.org/resource_database/search.aspx
ALT URL: http://resource.autismohio.org/resource_database/
DESCRIPTION: The Ohio Autism Coalition is a partnership between different autism advocacy organizations in Ohio that seek to improve the lives of people with ASD.  For a list these organizations see http://resource.autismohio.org/oac-groups.shtml.  The database is growing, but will eventually serve as a statewide directory of autism services available in Ohio.  By being database driven, it will be very flexible and easy for people to use.    

SITE: Bittersweet Farms, Whitehouse, Ohio 
URL: http://www.bittersweetfarms.org
DESCRIPTION: Located in Whitehouse, a community in Northwest Ohio, Bittersweet Farms is a community with the mission to "maximize opportunities for individual development of persons with autism by providing an array of premier services to individuals, and support to families."  A member of NIFCA, Bittersweet Farms is the home for around 20 people with autism who participate fully in the life on the farm.  They host a number of events during the year and provide both a residential and day program for people with autism.  This site has a good overview on their services, programs and provides contact information. 


Michigan

SITE: Autism Society of Michigan
URL: http://www.autism-mi.org
DESCRIPTION: The Autism Society of Michigan is associated with the Autism Society of America.  The website is very useful for Michigan programs and meetings, news, and links to both resources of general interest and particular interest for people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders in that state. The website has a very good page for resources at the state-level, but few resources outside Michigan.   

SITE: Autism Society of America, Oakland County Chapter
URL: http://www.asaoakland.org/
DESCRIPTION: The Oakland County Chapter of the Autism Society of America has a great site for local events and resources.  Oakland County is in the suburban Detroit area in Southeast Michigan.  The site also has an excellent online document called "Resource Guide for Families of Children and Adults with Pervasive Developmental Disorders including Autism, PDD, NOS, and Asperger�s Syndrome."  The document's URL is: http://www.asaoakland.org/asa_occ_resource_guide.pdf and it includes local, statewide, regional and national organizations and services that would be useful to people working with ASD.  

Indiana

SITE: Indiana Resource Center for Autism
URL: http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/
DESCRIPTION: The Indiana Resource Center for Autism (IRCA) is part of the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community and provides excellent online resources for people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders in that state.  The website includes links for state-wide programs in Indiana, bibliographies of books on ASD, publications available for purchase from IRCA, and other relevant information.  Of particular note are the IRCA articles (http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/ftrainpapers.html) that are available online and include the following topics: general information, family issues, adult issues, educational programming, behavioral issues, communication, self-help issues, and social issues.  Also includes is a list of professionals who can assist with obtaining a diagnosis for ASD children in Indiana.

Nebraska

SITE: Autism Society of Nebraska
URL: http://www.autismnebraska.org/
DESCRIPTION: The Autism Society of Nebraska (ASN) has a very good site with both general and state-specific information on ASD services.  Of primary note is the excellent Parents Booklet.  It is available directly at http://www.autismnebraska.org/Booklet-all.pdf.  This PDF file contains 183 pages and provides excellent general information for parents and others working with people on the Autistic spectrum.  While it has numerous pages dedicated to Nebraska resources, the general sections on diagnosing autism, and interventions (educational, medical, and others) is of value to all people who work with ASD individuals.  This free resource is especially valuable for parents of newly diagnosed children with ASD.

Ontario, Canada

SITE: Ontario Adult Autism Research and Support Network
URL: http://www.ont-autism.uoguelph.ca/newpage4.shtml
DESCRIPTION: A website specifically designed to address the needs of adults with ASD, the Ontario Adult Autism Research and Support Network (OAARSN) provides an unique resource on the web.  The site has five basic sections: Autism information, organization/services, communications, Autism-related websites, and unique resource documents.  Of primary note are the unique resource documents that provide full-text resources including regional organization newsletters, review of services, and excellent personal narratives of older children and adults with ASD in Ontario.  These accounts are primarily in a section entitled "From the Front Lines...Living With Autism" and provide an exceptional complementary online resource to personal narratives available in print.  

SITE: Autism Society Ontario
URL: http://www.autismsociety.on.ca/
DESCRIPTION: Autism Society Ontario (Canada) has 29 chapters and provides information and advocacy for people with ASD throughout the Province of Ontario.  The website is valuable for looking at services offered and available in Ontario.  Of particular interest is the resources pages that offers sections on behavior, communication, diet, education, health, medication, Ontario services and agencies, publications, and research as well as a full listing of "1001" sites in alphabetical order.  

Non-Midwest Regional Sites

Maryland

SITE: Pathfinders for Autism Resource Center
URL: http://www.pathfindersforautism.org
DESCRIPTION: A valuable resource, primarily geared towards parents of children with autism spectrum disorders in Maryland.  Pathfinders for Autism is a parent sponsored non-profit organization that specifically addresses the services available to families in Maryland. The website is also valuable in the context of general information provided on ASD.