AuTube: Innovative New Online Autism Discussion Site

Published May 16, 2009 @ 10:34AM PT

The Dan Marino Foundation has launched a new web site, AuTube. The site takes advantage of the vastness of today's communication tools--from YouTube to Twitter to Podcasting to multi-media blogging--but also anchors itself solidly around single, pin-pointed autism-related topics.

Each month a new autism-related topic is presented, along with information from experts on the topic. Site members can then discuss the topic, recommend resources (such as web sites, books, films, and blogs), take a quick survey, and make recommendations for future topics. More information at Media dis&dat.

This is definitely not the same old same old. June's question is the brilliantly self-reflective "is autism portrayed accurately in the media?" and the experts are not afraid to go deep into the issue and presume sharp intelligence on the part of their audience. Provocative, but (thankfully) not sensationalist.

Moreover, this is a model for online interaction that is deeply different from the direction online interaction has been going lately with smaller and smaller bites of information zipping by faster and faster, with often only the surface of issues able to be skimmed. Even here in this space (with blogging being much slower than say Twitter) in less than two days most posts slip off the front page, and out of sight or mind. The ability to slow down and take a whole month to discuss a rich piece of issue is a new sort of model that may (hopefully) encourage some more in depth assessment of key issues.

Can't wait to see how the site develops.

However, as much as I adore the site it has a massive failing, which is that it's deeply inaccessible to anyone who has difficulty with hearing. The expert tracks are not transcribed, the video is not captioned, and there is no where that I could find on the site where a text version of anything--not even the "about this site" information--was presented. I hope that this issue is corrected quicklly, because it is a substantial barrier to participation those of us who have difficulty processing auditory information (which may include a fairly large number of people on the spectrum).

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Comments (11)

Though not personally a member of the Autism community, I am somewhat connected to it via friends who are, and I have a deep interest in seeing that members of the community are encouraged to reach their full potential and be valued members of the larger community.

Posted by Jamaka Petzak on 05/16/2009 @ 11:34AM PT
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This video sounds great.

My artistic, autistic son is very talented in his field. That is what he does for a living. He didn't realized the restrictions YouTube has on offensive language for example. These restrictions are just like any other site. This situation kinda hurts his career as an artist.

I think it is a great idea and would get out the word. Glad you mentioned it Kristina.

Posted by L I on 05/16/2009 @ 12:24PM PT
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Dora again :-)

Posted by Dora Raymaker on 05/16/2009 @ 12:43PM PT
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Thanks for reminding me, Dora. I'll have to figure out how to avoid making this mistake.

Posted by L I on 05/16/2009 @ 08:07PM PT
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When you go to make the comment, take a look in the top right of the page first--it will have the author picture and bio. The name is also in the byline at the top of the post, just under the title. HTH

Posted by Dora Raymaker on 05/16/2009 @ 09:08PM PT
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Dora, this is great! I just spent some time at AuTube and signed up. I'll be very interested to follow the discussions there. Thanks so much for posting this! Jane P.S. I'll also post a comment there about the need for captioning the videos and the audio comments.

Posted by Jane Rake on 05/16/2009 @ 12:46PM PT
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Yes, please do feedback to DMF about the captioning! I wanted to listen to all the experts but after about 30 seconds of audio all I hear is blah blah blah blah blah :-(

In a "free moment" (yeah, right :-) I plan to write to DMF about the captioning and transcription. I think they will be receptive.

Posted by Dora Raymaker on 05/16/2009 @ 01:03PM PT
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Um Gottes Willen! what is wrong with Dinah's posautive now that we need US imperialism and *****king Rich mans charity to proclaim our Guerilla message ....................

There is media, and there is media, there are messages and there was Marshall McCluhan.

I prefer art Cinema to Hollywood and guts to chitterlings.

Now world hate me as you will, I am independant of all of this crap.

Merino is a variety of sheep ne'st ce pas?

Posted by Laurentius Rex on 05/16/2009 @ 03:07PM PT
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I just posted a comment on the AuTube site itself regarding captioning and how the lack of it renders the site inaccessible for some autistics.

Posted by Cody Boisclair on 05/18/2009 @ 08:21PM PT
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Dear Ms. Raymaker,

I am the Operations Director at the Dan Marino Foundation and would like to extend my appreciation for your positive comments about AuTube.tv and for getting the word out. We anticipate AutTube.tv becoming an outlet for people with autism worldwide. We are addressing the accessibility issue and thank you for bringing this issue to our attention.

All the best,
Susan Morantes

Posted by Susan Morantes on 05/26/2009 @ 08:53AM PT
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Thank you Susan! I appreciate your good work and your willingness to address the accessibility issue.

Posted by Dora Raymaker on 05/26/2009 @ 10:12AM PT
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Dora is committed to improving quality of life for individuals on the autistic spectrum--including herself! She is Co-director of the Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education and a member of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network's Board of Directors.

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